


Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi

by Jaenera_Targaryen



Series: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi [1]
Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Fate/stay night - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Gen, Kidnapping, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 53,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27227155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaenera_Targaryen/pseuds/Jaenera_Targaryen
Summary: Fortuna once rolled the dice, and unspeakable horror was burned into a child's fate. Fortuna rolled the dice again, and the girl's fate was to be forgotten, never again of any value to the one she gave her heart to. Then Fortuna rolled the dice again, and freedom and salvation came at last, at a terrible price, and still her fate was to be lesser to the one whose blood she shared.And Fortuna rolled the dice once more, as she is wont to do, and the scales of fate shifted. So did Fortuna who is as changeable as the Moon's waning and waxing, smile.
Relationships: Matou Shinji/Tohsaka Rin (one-sided), Mitsuzuri Ayako/Tohsaka Rin
Series: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2104944
Comments: 7
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue: La Torre

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Prologue: La Torre**

Big things have small beginnings.

A fairly common saying, and one that’s easy enough to understand. One doesn’t even need to get too technical with it, just the simple example of how the mightiest trees grow from tiny seeds being enough to explain it all.

And here and now, it all begins with a simple set of codes. Just letters and numbers, meaningless to your average man and woman, and completely impotent by themselves.

A man in a maintenance technician’s uniform whistled as he approached his destination, and after having his credentials checked by the guard on duty, allowed into the room. The men inside gave him only the most cursory of glances before they returned to their work, the technician continuing to whistle as he proceeded to his assigned space.

The laptop was set onto the table. A power cable was attached, followed by the network link. The screen powered on, and a box opened, asking for credentials. They were entered, and the man’s access rights verified, was allowed into the network, to allow him to perform the necessary tasks to keep the hospital’s internal network functioning properly.

Nor could the tasks be done only once, they must be repeated at periodic intervals, and only by qualified individuals at that. Those were the reasons the technician was here, and why everyone else saw nothing alarming about his presence. He was supposed to be here, had been many times now, and never before had he given them any reason to be suspicious of him.

Maintenance work proceeded smoothly over the new few hours, no one paying any attention as the technician pored over diagnostic reports and conducted system upgrades one after the other. Tests and simulations were done, reports compiled and updated, changes saved and implemented. No one noticed the lines of code he periodically checked, flashing over in green on black in a window hidden behind other windows, their introduction into the system unnoticed, similarly hidden as they were among other lines of code being introduced into the system, slipping through unhindered by the hospital network’s firewalls, none of which had any reason to intercept them.

The tasks were done. The codes were uploaded. The technician signed off, disconnected from the network, turned his laptop off, and placing his trash inside the trashcan, left after another cursory check from the guard on duty.

He passed by the security office to file his reports, and then gathering the rest of his things inside the locker room, left the building, refusing invitations for a night out and a drink on the basis of needing to get home for an even longer shift at another place tomorrow. No suspicions were aroused, for it was all too plausible.

It had even happened before.

The man left whistling and unconcerned about the day. He’d done what he was paid to do, whether it was his official salary, or the hundreds of thousands of American dollars sitting under a pseudonym in an offshore account.

All the while, lines of code spread unnoticed through the hospital’s network, no longer as impotent as they had once been, and preparing a backdoor where once there was none.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A week passed. A nondescript white van sat in a parking lot not far away. Nondescript except for the small and compact satellite dish on its roof, that is.

Inside, men sat at their stations, staring into glowing screens. Headsets were pressed to their ears, mouthpieces barely an inch away from their mouths. All around them, mobile mainframes and servers hummed quietly, operating lights tiny pinpricks of bright light in the van’s shadow.

“We are accessing the network.” One man said while tapping away at his keyboard. “Backdoor located, standby for network access…and, we’re in.”

“Good work.” The man in charge of the support team said, and clapping his subordinate on a shoulder. “Now bring up the internal layout, the patient manifest, maternity ward manifest, schedule of shifts and rotations, the personnel manifest…you know the drill.”

“Yes, sir.” The first man said, already tapping away on his keyboard.

“We have access to their internal security and surveillance systems.” Another man said. “We can be overridden locally, though.”

“That’s for the next team to handle.” The team leader said, and drawing himself up. “Our job is to give them the chance to do just that, and provide support.”

“Yes, sir.” The two men chorused, before the first man continued.

“I’ve found the data we need, downloading it now.” He said.

“Good…upload our files once that’s done.” The team leader said with a nod.

“Will do, sir.” The first man said.

The team leader crossed his arms over his chest as his team continued working away, the other two men in the van silently monitoring all communications around them for any sign they’d been made. A few minutes later, and he glanced in the door’s direction, as a sixth man arrived.

He was carrying a Starbuck’s bag with him.

“About time.” The team leader said.

“Sorry, sir.” The man said while handing him a coffee cup. “But there was a line.”

The team leader hummed in acknowledgement, and taking the offered coffee took a drink. Then he cringed and held the cup away. “I thought I said French roast!” he said.

“That’s what it is, sir.” The man said, turning away from distributing coffee to hand the receipt over.

The team leader gave it a glance, squinted at the server’s writing on his cup that said it was French roast, and then gave the coffee’s fumes a whiff. It really was French Roast.

“…more cream.” He said instead.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Night fell over Fuyuki City. The Moon rose into the sky. The city’s nightlife came awake. The night deepened. The Moon rose even higher into the sky. The nightlife bloomed in all its escapist glory.

Men in the uniforms and BDUs of the private security agency contracted by the hospital proceeded to the security room unhindered. If those present didn’t seem to recognize the men, they didn’t give it much thought, the agency they worked for was quite large, and their credentials were valid anyway.

They were probably new detail, maybe not really new blood, but freshly-transferred from somewhere else.

An electronic lock beeped as a key card opened the door. The PMCs entered the security room.

“You’re here early.” The ranking officer began, turning in their direction. “Shift doesn’t end for another…”

The words died on his lips as a suppressed pistol put a nine-millimeter into his head. Other security officers tried to react, but moved too slow and died the same way.

The door was sealed and locked. The bodies dragged to one side. The PMCs took their stations, and taking direct control of the internal security and surveillance systems, ensured there would be no local overrides.

“We have complete control of the system.” A PMC said a few minutes later.

The lieutenant in charge nodded, and then opened the encoded line. With the hospital’s network compromised, the PMC’s signal piggybacked onto the hospital’s own outbound communications, and relayed by the support team, went to its final destination.

“The doors are open.” The man said. “Commence the operation.”

“…acknowledged.” The reply came, firm and laconic in its finality.

The lieutenant nodded, and then drawing himself up, turned his attention to the myriad of CCTVs playing live on the screens before him. The metallic stink of blood twitched at his nose, wafting through the air with the room’s air conditioning, but the man tuned it out instinctively.

It wasn’t the first time he’d smelt spilled blood, and a lot of it at that, to say nothing of dead bodies beginning to rot.

And it wouldn’t be the last time either.

“Chopper inbound.” A man said. “Rooftop level…access granted.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The roar of the chopper’s engines filled the cabin, and forcing the men inside to shout to be overheard. “Hey, LT!” one man shouted. “Who’s the Second Owner down there again?”

“…Tokiomi Tohsaka!” the man shouted back. “He’s an idiot!”

That got a ripple of laughter from the men inside the chopper, which quieted down as the pilot spoke up over the internal line. “Heads up, boys and girls!” the veteran pilot yelled. “Here we go!”

The PMCs checked their weapons, flipping off safeties and chambering rounds. All the while the chopper made its final approach on the hospital, and briefly hovering over the landing pad, slowly but steadily descended.

Doors slid open. PMCs flooded out, and secured the perimeter. “Team Charlie, secure the perimeter!” The LT barked. “Vasquez, keep the engines running, we’ll need to bug out hot and fast!”

“Leave it to me, LT!” the pilot said with a nod.

“Teams Bravo and Alpha, with me!” the LT barked, already heading for the access stairwell. “Let’s move it, commandos!”

Fire Teams Alpha and Bravo followed the LT’s lead, making their way into the blockhouse and then down the access stairwell to the top floor of the building. Nurses and doctors on night duty gasped in shock and surprise as heavily-armed and armored men came out of the stairwell…

…and then stopped caring at all, at a gesture from the LT.

It neither fazed nor merited a response from his men, long used as they were to their platoon leader’s use of magic to support their operations. Moving in silence, communicating only by hand signals, Bravo Team secured the elevator, while Alpha Team used it to proceed to the Genesis Floor, and the maternity ward therein.

Again, nurses and doctors on night duty were caught by shock and surprise at their arrival, only to be left uncaring by the LT’s magic. Sweeping through the floor and into the maternity ward, the commandos checked each crib quickly but carefully, until they found what they were looking for.

“Is she the one?” a woman asked the LT.

The man checked the clipboard attached to the crib, and nodded. “Package has been identified.” He said. “Secure it, and proceed for evac.”

“Vanguard,” the word came through the encoded line. “Be advised, Tango One is on his way to the maternity ward. We’ll slow him as best we can, but get the hell out of there.”

“We must have tripped a ward. Let’s move, commandos!”

The commandos rushed back to the elevator, Lance Corporal Rodriquez holding the package firmly but gently to herself, the rest of the commandos making sure to keep their corners clear and flanks secure until they reached the elevator. Then it was another ride up, and rendezvousing with Bravo Team, they left claymore mines behind as ‘presents’ for Tango One while they rushed to the landing pad.

They arrived with no incident, and leaving another claymore behind them, piled into the chopper. “Vasquez!” the LT shouted. “We’re clear! Get us to the extraction point!”

“Hold onto your butts, this will be quick and easy.”

The chopper lifted off, but the LT kept his eyes on the landing pad until they were well clear, and narrowing them as he spotted an explosion in the distance.

_Looks like Tango One got to the landing pad in one piece. Must be less of an idiot than we thought…or not…_

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Learjet’s engines roared as they idled on the tarmac, a man in dark-colored business attire standing patiently next to the helipad several dozen meters away. His scalp was covered with close-cropped, thinning hair turning white, but still retaining plenty of blonde shades, while his beard and goatee were neatly trimmed.

He narrowed his eyes as the chopper moved in, and then landing, spilled commandos out. They spread out, forming a perimeter and securing the helipad, even as the LT rushed to meet with his superior. “Tango One is on the move!” he shouted over the noise of the chopper and aircraft engines.

“We’ll be long gone by the time he gets here.” Viljam Edelfelt said.

“Yes, sir!” the LT said before turning to Rodriguez. “Stay safe, Elisa, until we meet again.”

“Likewise, LT.” the lance corporal said, before joining Viljam at the jeep that would take them to the waiting plane. Still carrying the baby with her, now awake from all the noise and crying in her turn, the lance corporal busied herself with reassuring the child, even if she probably wouldn’t fall asleep for a long while yet.

The jeep drove them to the plane, Viljam leading the way up the stairs to the passenger cabin. “Captain,” he said, in passing to the man and his copilot as they rushed past. “Take off immediately.”

“Yes, my lord.” The captain laconically replied.

Maids showed Viljam and Rodriguez to their seats, the latter shrugging off her flak jacket and taking off her helmet to make it more comfortable for the child she was holding. With some help from the maids, she was strapped into her seat, Viljam doing likewise for himself.

Already, the plane’s engines were building up noise as they spun up for the long trip back to Finland, and then the plane was moving. Viljam checked his wristwatch, and then sat back as the plane taxied down the runway, and on getting the go ahead, sped down the runway, building up speed before finally taking off.

_All according to plan._

“Would you like to hold your niece, my lord?” Elisa Rodriguez asked, gently shaking the child in her arms, finally managing to get her to calm down.

Viljam gave a wintery, if tender smile, before stroking the child’s cheek. She gurgled happily, tiny hands moving to grab her uncle’s finger.

_Sakura Edelfelt-Tohsaka, you will have a very bright future ahead of you, of that there is no doubt._

_Everything is finally as they should be, and as they should have been decades ago._

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: Fortuna Empress of the World, an orchestral piece where the famous – and much overused – O Fortuna comes from.

La Torre: The Tower, the sixteenth card of the Major Arcana. It’s traditionally depicted as a tower struck ablaze by lightning, and is associated with danger, accident, disaster and catastrophe. However, it can also have positive meanings: liberation, for one, and unexpected, potentially beneficial change.


	2. Chapter 1: Il Mondo (Part I)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 1: Il Mondo (Part I)**

_Fifteen years later_

“25,000 new jobs!”

The election campaign was in full swing, between floats with giant cartoon animals on top, dancers in flashy and flamboyant outfits, clowns and marching bands, and vans topped with loudspeakers loudly belching out fancy rhetoric. Confetti rained down from the sky over the crowds, while costumed men and women tossed out toys and souvenirs from the floats. And like the stupid and unthinking sheep that they were, the crowds lapped it all up.

“New maternal benefits for wives and sisters!”

Sakura Edelfelt-Tohsaka didn’t care for any of that, though. Instead, she just sat on a bench in a nearby park, looking slightly out of place in her safari outfit, a pith helmet sitting on the bench next to her. She kept her eyes on the pigeons around her on the ground, picking at the seeds she periodically tossed to them, a small smile playing on her lips. The wind briefly picked up, blowing through her long dark hair, well, mostly dark, as the strands to the front of her scalp had long since turned white, with no inclination of ever returning to their natural color.

Power demanded sacrifice, after all.

Sakura blinked and looked up at the jubilant roar of the crowds, and reinforced eyes narrowed as the biggest float of them all rumbled into view. A man and a woman stood and waved at the crowds from the top, though the latter was barely more than a girl, maybe four or five years older than Sakura herself, and yet shorter and lighter than her for all that.

The man, though, was clearly decades older than his paramour was.

“ _Dirty old man, huh?_ ” Sakura thought at the sight. “ _Well…not really my problem, one way or the other._ ”

Sakura smiled as she turned her attentions back to the pigeons, and tossed them a fresh handful of seeds. Then reaching into Imaginary Numbers Space with her fingers, pulled out a single, precisely-cut specimen of onyx. It pulsed between her fingertips, her own prana inside responding positively to her touch.

Letting go, she let the gem fall to the ground, one of the pigeons picking it up with its beak. It cocked its head at Sakura, regarding her with beady eyes.

“You know what to do, little buddy.” Sakura told her familiar, and then she followed it up, as it flew away. “That’s a good boy.”

Smiling again, Sakura turned back to the other pigeons, and tossing them another handful of seeds.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The festival was in full swing, the crowds thronging through the narrow streets between booths and attractions. Peddlers shouted at prospective customers, children tugged and pointed and yelled at their parents, adults conversed and laughed with each other, all under the cloudy skies of night. The Moon peered through gaps in the clouds, while multicolored lights glittered on lines stretched overhead across the streets.

Sakura slid the requisite amount of pesos over the booth’s wooden counter, and was gratefully accepted by the vendor. “Thank you, _senorita_.” The older woman said.

Sakura nodded back with a smile and a tip of her helmet, and then taking her cup of shaved ice, deftly slipped between and through the crowds, spooning fruit-flavored ice into her mouth. Making her way up a hill, she ended up on a landing looking down on an amphitheater below. Seating arrangements were limited only to the city’s great and good – or more accurately, the city’s rich and powerful – though ordinary people and other bystanders could watch from vantage points outside the amphitheater.

“…so I said to him,” the man on the stage began. “Brother, I love you like you were my own flesh and blood, but with this? I can’t help you. Women _always_ find out the truth, you see… ** _always_**. And I’ve got a _wife_.”

The crowd below laughed, as did a few of the people in the landing. Sakura didn’t, instead continuing to spoon shaved ice into her mouth while watching the gathering below. Eyes stayed fixed on the VIP table, where the local candidate and his mistress sat, laughing as they lapped up the comedian’s tripe.

The minutes ticked by, the Moon slowly climbing higher into the skies above, even as events came and went down below. The comedian finished his routine on the stage, and was followed by a musical number by a local singer. Sakura had to admit, the woman had an impressive voice, but even so, she kept her eyes on the target.

Finishing her shaved ice, she tossed it in a nearby trash can, and then returning to the edge of the landing, leaned forward, resting her arms on the metal railings. Patience…patience was the name of the game when it came to hunting, no matter the prey. Rabbits, deer, partridges and other game birds, _people_ …it was all the same in the end, and this was no different.

Lips twitched into a smile as finally, the target made her move. The mistress whispered something to her lover, and they shared a kiss, before the mistress made to leave the amphitheater for the ladies’ room.

Sakura pushed herself off the railings, and walking quickly, vanished into the crowds while also heading for the ladies’ room.

It was show time.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A pair of guards stood on either side of the ladies’ room, their eyes regarding Sakura with quiet suspicion as she approached. They didn’t try to stop her, though, as she didn’t seem threatening in any way to them. They just watched as she approached, and opening the door, stepped into the ladies’ room while closing the door behind her.

The mistress was at the sink, humming softly to herself while washing her hands. There was no one else inside the room.

Sakura sent a thought to her familiars, and then pressing a piece of jade against the door, fused it with the surrounding wall. A moment later and the power was cut, Sakura’s familiars using gems she’d given them to blow the local power grid.

Darkness fell as the power failed, with red emergency lights coming on a moment later. Even through the walls, the panicked shouts and screams of the people outside could be heard, while loud thumps resonated through the door as the guards outside tried to come in, only they couldn’t.

There were no emergency lights in the ladies’ room.

Sakura didn’t need it. Reinforcement was enough. Pulling a 12-inch dagger from Imaginary Numbers Space, she stalked around her panicking prey, the mistress turning back and forth, heaving and tearing up in terror. And then holding her breath, Sakura pounced.

Kicking the mistress down to her knees, Sakura then grabbed her by the hair, and pulling back bared the mistress’ throat. A simple motion later, and blood was gushing like a waterfall from lacerated arteries, the mistress gurgling as her life bled away and flooded into her lungs. But Sakura wasn’t finished.

Letting the mistress fall to the ground, Sakura then palmed another piece of jade, and with a muttered word, slammed it into the mistress’ torso. Flesh exploded in a shower of blood and gore, the mistress’ torso turning to mulch as Sakura destroyed it along with the mistress’ lower abdominal organs, in particular the woman’s reproductive system.

_Sakura, your mission is to infiltrate the campaign climax and terminate the target. Complete destruction of the body is unneeded. The client is willing to let them have the rest so long as the target’s reproductive organs are destroyed._

_Mockery, is it?_

_So it would seem, Sakura. The mission details are up to you, but keep it discreet. We don’t need our names on the front page of any newspaper or on the screens on some news channel somewhere else in the world._

_I understand._

Sakura got up, magic rippling over her clothes and body to break down the blood splattering it, dust crumbling away as she stepped over the mangled corpse to the back wall. Pulling out another gem, Sakura slammed it against the wall with a muttered word, and blew a hole right through.

“ _Elisa?_ ” she reached out with her thoughts.

“ _Sakura?_ ” her bodyguard asked.

“ _Mission accomplished._ ” Sakura thought as she slipped into the panicking crowds, using them to mask her escape route. “ _Ready the chopper, I’m already on my way out._ ”

“ _Yes, Sakura._ ”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura turned a corner, scanned her surroundings, then hurried through the empty alley. It was a roundabout route, one which kept her from prying eyes and made any pursuit from the local kingpin cum politician out for blood for his mistress’ death that much more difficult.

Not to mention, if she had to fight, then with less prying eyes here she’d find it easier to let loose.

Hurrying up a set of stairs, Sakura paused just short of entering the alley beyond. It wasn’t something she could put into words, and which science could only handwave as instinct, a sixth sense possessed only by really lucky people or those who’d spent so much time putting their lives on the line.

Something…

… _someone_ was here.

…

…

…

The first step to breaking a trap was to spring it.

A gem shattered in Sakura’s grip, allowing her to instinctively control the gravity in the local area and how it affected her. Prana flooded her crest, the Earth element allowing her to similarly control her mass on an intuitive level. Together, they would increase her mobility to levels even greater than just mere reinforcement gave her, and that was before reinforcement itself was factored in.

Not that there wasn’t a price, of course. The crest fused into her spine burned angrily, feeling as though someone was peeling her skin and then dragging red-hot claws through the flesh beneath, all while boiling water mixed with acid was being poured on top of it.

The crest was very useful, and more than that gave weight – _legitimacy_ , even – to her name, but by God, she could do without the pain that came with using it. Even after getting used to it, it was never really something you could do away with.

Stepping into the open, Sakura immediately took a step back, a boomerang imbued with the Wind element spinning past through the air. It’d have carved right through her head otherwise, and quite easily at that, the all-but inaudible keening of its passing pointing to a monomolecular edge of air around the boomerang that would have let it cut through solid steel.

“Murderer!” the man in a suit down the alley shouted at Sakura as he drew and threw more boomerangs at her. “I’ll kill you!”

Sakura sped down the alley with a set expression on her face, eyes wary for the incoming boomerangs. Then without breaking stride she dodged the side, right, left, left again, and then right, before pulling an arm back to throw a right hook.

It slammed into the man’s face, causing him to drop the boomerang he was holding, and staggering him away with a cry of pain as Sakura’s reinforced and elementally-imbued fist shattered his left cheekbone. A left hook did the same to his right cheekbone, and the man barely had time to spit out broken teeth before a spinning kick by Sakura caved in his left temple and smashed his face against the wall with the crack of breaking bone.

The man was probably walking dead already, but Sakura was nothing but thorough. Hyenas didn’t stop feeding until their prey was naught but bare bones, after all, in fact they might even break the bone to get at the juicy marrow within.

Grabbing the man’s head with a claw-like hold, Sakura slammed his head against the wall again, and with a feral snarl, dragged it against said wall while running down the alley. It left a trail of blood, skin, and pulped flesh behind them, and then coming onto a street running along the edge of the cliff, Sakura slammed the man’s head against the steel railing.

Steel and bone broke before Sakura let the man’s head go, his limp body falling to the ground. Quartz flashed into her hand, and with a hissed aria, she slammed it down against his body. An explosion rumbled through the night, the man’s body reduced to bloody pulp smeared against the floor of a crater three-feet deep.

“You’re a hundred years too early to try and take an Edelfelt on, spell-caster trash.” Sakura contemptuously spat, walking away and brushing dust off her clothes.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The chopper was waiting for Sakura as she arrived at the extraction point, Elisa Rodriguez opening the passenger side door open for her. “Everything alright?” she asked as Sakura got into the chopper, and closed the door behind her.

“Just a minor nuisance slowing me down.” Sakura said as she strapped herself in. “I’d have been here sooner if not for that.”

“Fair enough.” Elisa said as she had the helicopter take off, and taking them to where their plane was waiting. “What about the mission, though? Any complications?”

“…reading about the target on the dossier is one thing.” Sakura said after a few moments. “Seeing it in person…that girl was only a few years older than me. And she was sleeping with a guy around twenty or so yours older than her? I’ll admit, it’s…creeped me out, in a way.”

“Well, there’s a difference between blowing stuff up and killing people on the battlefield, and having to lie on your back and spread your legs for some lowlife to get his balls off.” Elisa admitted. “So yeah, I don’t fault you for getting creeped out, especially since that girl wasn’t that much older than you.”

Sakura just hummed in agreement. “…she wasn’t much, though.” She eventually said.

“I beg your pardon?”

“The target,” Sakura elaborated. “She wasn’t much, literally. I mean, she wasn’t skin and bones, but I did get a feel for her while stalking her and then finally getting in close to finish her off. Her muscles were too soft, and her movements too slow and random.”

“So she really was just a helpless woman in the end, huh?” Elisa asked.

“A helpless woman with a valuable bloodline, regardless of whether or not her mother was just a mistress.” Sakura said before giving a sigh. “Well, I guess it’s not really my business, her grandfather’s way of thinking that is.”

“You mean…about the fact that he didn’t care that he had a granddaughter,” Elisa began. “But he cared that she was marrying someone rich and powerful, with connections to the twilit underworld between our two worlds.”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

“…the world can be a cruel place.” Elisa eventually said. “Much like life, it’s not fair.”

“Well, that’s true.” Sakura said with a sigh. “Not much we can do but make the best of it, huh? And be thankful that we’re all lucky to have a fairer deal than others. In short, count your blessings.”

“Amen to that, Sakura.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A couple of hours later, and Sakura was sitting on a couch in a Learjet’s passenger cabin. She’d freshly-showered, and was now wearing a loose-fitting dress while getting in touch with her relatives back in Finland over satellite.

“Good work in South America, Sakura.” Lummiki Edelfelt said over the satellite link. “Lord Crépin has already independently confirmed the target’s demise and the destruction of critical assets. The agreed upon amount has already been transferred to your account.”

“I’m glad to receive payment for a job well done.” Sakura said before giving a mockingly-contrite appearance. “Though I apologize if that comes off as too…mercenary.”

“HA!” Lummiki gave a laugh at that, one shared by her niece. The day an Edelfelt would seriously apologize for having a mercenary attitude would be the day hell froze over.

“In any case,” Lumikki continued. “Return to Finland for now, as currently there aren’t any job offers floating around that we can give you. At least, none that would be worth your while.”

“I understand, Aunt Lumikki.” Sakura said, before leaning forward. “Though, with that said, perhaps I might pass by London, and pay Luvia a visit?”

Lumikki hummed in thought for a few moments. “You’ll have to pay for your own accommodations while you’re there.” She finally said.

“I have some money to burn.” Sakura said with a nod.

Lumikki nodded back. “Very well then,” she said. “I’ll update your status, though keep in touch just in case something comes up that we need to send you on.”

“I understand.”

Lumikki nodded again. “Alright, then,” she said. “Pass on my regards to Luvia as well, but aside from that, enjoy yourself. Oh, and be careful: The Clock Tower’s a nest of vipers. We might play our own games with other families here in Finland, but the Clock Tower’s intrigues are on a completely different level.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Sakura nodded, and with a final nod, Lumikki cut the line.

With a sigh of satisfaction, Sakura sank back into her couch, even as a maid arrived and served her a parfait. “Thank you, thank you,” Sakura happily expressed her gratitude, already eyeing the icy sweet with delight. She gushed wordlessly as she spooned fruit and cream into her mouth, followed by more one after the other. “Want one?”

Elisa laughed and shook her head. “No, thank you.” She said from where she was sitting at the bar. “It’s too sweet for me. I’ll stick with coffee and a chicken sandwich.”

Sakura pouted at the notion of a parfait being too sweet, but then shrugged it off. To each their own, and all that.

“We’ll pass by Belgium first,” she said instead. “My arrival could be a pleasant surprise, but just in case, I’ll bring something along to sweeten the deal.”

“Do you have something in mind, my lady?” Elisa asked.

Sakura just smiled and continued to eat her parfait.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Belgian chocolate,” Elisa remarked a day – not counting passing through different time zones – later, as Sakura returned to her Learjet after shopping the whole day in Belgium. Nothing remarkable had happened while they were there, if you didn’t count a Finnish-Japanese aristocrat and her Latina bodyguard as remarkable. “And Belgian beer…well, they do say food and drink make the best gift to give and share.”

“Hmm…eight kinds of pralines, and four kinds of truffles,” Sakura cheerfully said as she watched the maids bring in her purchases. “And seventy-eight kinds of beer. Cost quite the penny, but it’s worth it all buttering up my dear elder cousin.”

“…permission to speak freely?”

“Granted.”

“Butter her up for what, my lady? Do you plan to ask a favor of some kind?”

Sakura smiled while settling into her couch. “Rents in London are among the most expensive in the world.” She said. “I might have spent plenty to buy everything I bought earlier today, but I’d have to pay up to five times that amount for a single night in London.”

“Hmm…so in exchange for these gifts, Lady Luviagelita will let you stay at her mansion.” Elisa remarked.

Sakura shrugged. “She probably wouldn’t mind if I asked even without giving her gifts.” She said. “But, I’d rather not come off as a freeloader as the Americans would call it.”

“Good point.”

Sakura nodded. “Once my purchases have been loaded aboard,” she said. “Have the captain fly us to Heathrow. No point in dallying around further, and I’m looking forward to meeting my cousin again after so long.”

Elisa gave a small smile. “If I might point out,” she said. “It hasn’t been more than a few months since you last met Lady Luviagelita during your family’s New Year’s celebration.”

“Maybe…but that’s still a few months away from family. I’m sure Luvia is feeling quite lonely herself.”

“I’ll defer to you on that, my lady.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Please pardon the interruption, my lady,” a maid diffidently said with a curtsy. “Lady Sakura is here to see you.”

Luviagelita ‘Luvia’ Edelfelt blinked from where she was enjoying a session with her hairdresser and manicure and pedicure artists. “Sakura?” she asked in surprise. “What’s she doing here?”

“You won’t see her then?”

“No, of course I will.” Luvia snapped. “Send her in immediately.”

“As you wish, my lady.” The maid said with another curtsy.

It took a few minutes, Luvia’s mansion being quite large, and then Sakura was walking in, wearing a full dress of blue brocade with elaborate embroidery in white lace, along with a matching pair of white leather boots with gilt buttons. White velvet gloved her hands, one of them rising in greeting.

“Hello, my dear cousin.” Sakura happily greeted Luvia. “How are you today?”

“Fine, thank you.” Luvia said before giving a sigh. “Though, I could be better.”

“Oh?”

“Someone tried to have me killed earlier.” Luvia admitted with a sigh. “They’re all dead now, of course, very dead, in fact. I’d be surprised if there’s anything left of any individual assassin that could fill a can of sardines. Though, it left me looking quite disheveled, hence my current situation.”

“I see…still, count your blessings, if I may say so.” Sakura remarked.

Luvia smiled. “I suppose so.” She said. “I’m alive and well, and unscarred for all that. Superficialities aside, victory was overwhelmingly mine.”

“As you say.”

Luvia smiled wider, and gestured for Sakura to sit. A maid arrived, bringing tea and biscuits. “You can go ahead and have tea, if you want.” Luvia said. “I’ll need to finish getting touched up first before I can join you for dinner. Or will you be joining me?”

“I’d be honored.”

Luvia laughed. “I’m glad to hear it.” She said. “So, now that you’re here, I assume your latest mission in South America went well.”

“There was a minor complication.” Sakura said with a shrug.

“Oh?”

“A jumped-up spell-caster thought he could take me on.”

“And how did it end?”

“With a crater smeared with blood and viscera.”

Luvia laughed. “Well done, cousin.” She said.

Sakura just smiled and took a drink of her tea. “But apart from that,” she continued. “The mission went as well as could be expected. The target was killed, critical assets destroyed, no evidence left behind that could implicate us, and the methods used circumspect enough that no matter how many stones the local law enforcement tip over, they won’t find anything out of the ordinary. Well, apart from a pair of corpses left in bloody shambles.”

Luvia nodded. “Sounds good,” she said before raising an eyebrow. “Did you bring me any souvenirs?”

Sakura smiled wider. “From South America, no.” she said, and causing Luvia to pout. “I passed by Belgium on the way, though. Elisa…?”

“Yes, my lady.” The Latina woman said, stepping forward and presenting Luvia an open box of Belgian chocolates, while a nearby maid had a tray with a bottle of beer and a cold-frosted glass on it.

“Hmm…Belgian beer and chocolate…” Luvia happily said. “Thank you, Sakura.”

“Oh don’t thank me yet.” Sakura said with a wink. “That’s just a sample, and there’s plenty more where it came from.”

“Oh?”

“How does twelve different kinds of chocolate and nearly a hundred varieties of beer sound?”

Luvia laughed. “Sakura, I’ll get fat.” She mock complained.

“But you’ll still enjoy them, won’t you?” Sakura asked back.

“Of course I will.” Luvia said with a grin. “Thank you for the selection. I’ll be sure to enjoy it, and with you too, while you’re here. You’ll be staying for a while, won’t you?”

“Not for too long, I’m sure the rest of the family will want me back in Finland before the month is out at the latest.” Sakura said with a sigh. “Maybe sooner, if something comes up.”

“Hmm…well, until then, I’ll be glad to have you here in London.” Luvia said firmly. “Do you have any arrangements yet?”

“I was looking into local options…”

Luvia tutted in disapproval. “They might as well be robbing you blind, as you should well know.” She chided before giving a smile. “How about you stay here with me then?”

“I don’t wish to impose…”

“Oh not at all.”

“…then allow me to take you at your kind offer.”

Luvia grinned. “Splendid!” she said.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

Il Mondo: The World, the twenty-first card of the Major Arcana. It’s traditionally depicted as a woman in the nude dancing above the Earth, holding a pair of staves in her hands. A green wreath surrounds both the Earth and the woman, while animals look on from around the wreath. Its traditional associations include the end of cycles, completed achievements, fulfilled possibility, and new beginnings.

Thanks to Cubia for helping write this chapter. Well, indirectly, at least, as he pointed out that while Edelfelt are one of the more benevolent magi families out there, they’re still a magi family with all that implies. Their latent sociopathy as magi is at full bore here, with Luvia and Sakura completely nonchalant at their casual brutality against their enemies.


	3. Chapter 2: Il Mondo (Part II)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.  
  


**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 2: Il Mondo (Part II)**

  
“No, I don’t want to go.”  
  
Luvia slouched on a couch in one of her London mansion’s sitting rooms, this one with no windows so as to afford greater privacy. She looked away with a pout, resting her chin against an elbow, her otherwise languid pose and the loose dress she was wearing giving her something of a spoiled appearance in this situation.  
  
“Lady Luviagelita, what are you saying?” the uniformed manservant gently asked. “These are high nobles of the Clock Tower. And if you refuse Lord Ross’ invitation once again, what will the other nobles say about you in the following months?”  
  
“I despise Lord Ross.” Luvia bluntly remarked. “The way he struts around as though he’s so important…”  
  
“I’m sure Lord Ross despises you too, my lady,” the manservant agreed as Luvia trailed off. “But didn’t he graciously invite you anyway?”  
  
Luvia made a dismissing sound and gesture. “He probably only wants to increase his attendance.” She said. “Must I play the fool to demonstrate his authority and influence? What nonsense!”  
  
“Lady Luviagelita…”  
  
“Yes, yes…” Luvia said with a sigh before sitting up straight. “You’re probably going to remind me that since Lady Barthomeloi will be coming, it would be impolite not to go. What a waste of my time.”  
  
Luvia snorted while getting up to her feet, and smoothed out her dress. “At the very least,” she said. “My cousin will be there, along with some of my friends and acquaintances from across the Clock Tower. I shouldn’t be driven to my wits’ end with them to keep me company tonight.”  
  
“As you say, my lady.” The manservant said a bow. “As you say.”  
  
Luvia nodded and turned to pace the room. “Now then,” she began. “I wonder…what should I wear tonight, and what present should I give…”  
  
“Should I prepare a selection for both that my lady may peruse through later?” the manservant politely offered.  
  
“Yes, you do that, a very good idea, thank you very much.”  
  
The manservant bowed again. “You are welcome, my lady.” He said after rising once more. “Well then, I take my leave.”  
  
Luvia nodded, and with another bow, the manservant left her alone in the room.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Orchestral music echoed out of the grand mansion in the London suburbs, even as cars of various makes – Rolls-Royce, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Lamborghini, Renault, and many more – drove up and around the rotunda and its fountain centerpiece, crowned by a Neoclassical sculpture of Cupid and Eros. Passengers dropped off in a colorful variety of gowns, dresses, and styles, at least when it came to the women, as the men all uniformly wore dark and somber-colored formal clothes.  
  
“ _George Frederic Handel,_ ” Luvia thought in recognition, as she heard the music faintly through her car’s walls. “ _Water Music Suite No. 1 in F major: III. Allegro-Andante-Allegro da capo, if my guess is right._ ”  
  
“You should be able to go right in, my lady.” Her attending maid said as their car drove up to the drop off area.  
  
“I know.” Luvia said with a sigh. “However, I intend to slip out as soon as possible. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but I’ll have you and the driver keep the car idling in the parking area for just that purpose.”  
  
“I understand, my lady.” The maid said with a bow. “But please, don’t worry about us, my lady. You should go ahead and take your time enjoying yourself.”  
  
“That’s easy for you to say.” Luvia murmured, and opened the door. Then she was coming up short, at a faint sound of surprise and alarm from outside the door. Looking in its direction, Luvia found herself facing a balding old man with a neatly-trimmed white beard and muttonchops, dressed in a black frock coat with a high collar over a shirt and trousers in pale violet. He wore a white cravat with a gold-rimmed amethyst brooch, and his frilled cuffs were white.  
  
And more importantly, aged fingers clutched shakily at a gilded cane, topped with another amethyst. That was enough for Luvia to put the story together.  
  
“Oh, that was very rude of me!” she immediately said, getting out her car and giving a contrite curtsy. “Please accept my apologies, sir.”  
  
The old man just glared silently at her, and seemingly struggling to keep himself restrained. “…if I may…” Luvia continued while rising to her full height. “…have I accidentally injured you?”  
  
Without any words, the old man stomped away in silence, leaving Luvia looking after him in surprise and concern, one shared by her maid a moment later, the servant leaving the car to stand next to her mistress. Then both were turning the other way, at the sound of a familiar laugh.  
  
“Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho…that was quite the eccentric old man there, wasn’t he?” Sakura asked as she approached, hiding her face partly behind a fan of blue silk with a pearl-inlaid frame.  
  
“Lady Sakura!” the maid exclaimed in surprised recognition, before giving a low bow. Sakura acknowledged her with a nod, and then turned back to her cousin.  
  
“Good evening, Luvia.” She said with a curtsy, and one that Luvia returned. “You’re looking splendid tonight, though I must say, I’m rather surprised to see you in those colors.”  
  
Luvia gave a smirk at that, a subdued hand movement showing off her off-the-shoulders gown of white brocade with elaborate embroidery in pale pink. “None may claim that Luviagelita Edelfelt is incapable of spontaneity.” She said.  
  
“Hmm…I believe the message is well-sent.” Sakura said with a smile.  
  
“Indeed,” Luvia agreed with a nod, before tilting her head. “You’re also looking splendid tonight, though on a similar note, I wonder at the reason you’ve decided to go monochrome for this evening.”  
  
This time, it was Sakura’s turn to smirk, a similarly-subdued hand gesture showing off her elegantly-austere and sleeveless dress of rich blue brocade, a rose of the same color pinned to her left shoulder. She also wore a Eugenie hat, though instead of feathers another blue rose had been pinned to the hat’s crown.  
  
“All I can say it that there is a way to go Art Nouveau without extreme elaboration.” She replied, and Luvia gave an amused laugh.  
  
“You and your fondness for the Art Nouveau school.” She said with a fond shake of her head. “On to more serious matters…Sakura, do you know who that old man was?”  
  
“No…” Sakura said, before turning to the party behind them. “But I suspect our fellow partygoers here do. Good evening, Lady El-Melloi, and Lord El-Melloi II.”  
  
“Good evening to you as well, Miss Edelfelt-Tohsaka, and to your cousin, Lady Edelfelt.” Lady Reines El-Melloi Archisorte said, the little blonde girl wearing an elegant and modest dress of white with pale blue embroidery.  
  
“Good evening, my lord and lady.” Luvia said with a curtsy.  
  
“As to your question, Miss Luvia,” Lord Waver El-Melloi II began, and electing to address Luvia by her given name considering the existing (business/academic) relationship between them. “I believe that was Lord Parker just now.”  
  
“Lord Parker…?” Luvia echoed uncertainly, and with a glance at her cousin. Sakura just shrugged at her, clearly not recognizing the name any more than Luvia did.  
  
“It’s understandable.” Reines said with a curious look on her face, and also looking in the old man’s direction. “He was banished from society over thirty years ago. In all honesty, it makes me wonder what he’s doing here.”  
  
“…it does seem rather strange, doesn’t it?” Waver mused aloud, crossing his arms and tapping his lips with a finger in thought.  
  
Both Luvia and Sakura traded glances again, before looking in Lord Parker’s direction, but even then, neither had an answer to El-Melloi II’s concerns.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
The orchestra continued to play, even as Luvia made her way around the hall, regarding the paintings and other works of art lining the wall with a practiced eye. One, in particular, caught her attention, that of an oil painting of a man in an 18th Century Royal Navy Admiral’s uniform, hanging in a gilded frame.  
  
“ _Life-sized, too…very impressive…_ ” Luvia mentally-remarked. Then she blinked, as an oily voice from behind her interrupted her appreciation.  
  
“Well, well, if it isn’t the hyenas’ alpha female.” the man began. “Why are you hiding along the walls like this? Or perhaps you just have an eye for paintings?”  
  
Luvia turned and narrowed her eyes at a man of average height, his brown hair cut into a cropped bowl, wearing a violet frock coat trimmed in black with a high collar over a brown shirt and trousers. He wore a white cravat at his throat, held in place by a jeweled brooch, and held a half-drunk glass of wine in one hand.  
  
“Well, each and every one of them is worthy of the foremost nobles, first-class paintings all of them.” Sir Aston – the man – said, while holding up his glass in the direction of the painting Luvia had been admiring recently. “This portrait, in particular, was a gift from someone down on his luck. He thought it worthy of Lord Ross, and presented it with head bowed.”  
  
Luvia made a sound of curious intrigue. “And who is that?” she asked. “Who would be so desperate that they would act in so blatant a manner?”  
  
“That fellow over there,” Sir Aston said with a tip of his head across the room. “The one standing by himself, Lord Parker.”  
  
“Lord Parker?” Luvia echoed, and looking in the indicated direction. Sure enough, there was the old man from earlier, nursing a glass of wine by himself next to a window looking out over the inner gardens, and leaning on his cane.  
  
And clearly a non-entity as far as everyone else was concerned, or so it seemed to Luvia.  
  
“I see.” Luvia said with a smile while continuing to look in Lord Parker’s direction. “It goes without saying that the recognized arts only belong to those of importance and worth.”  
  
“Indeed.” Sir Aston agreed with an oily smile.  
  
“That said,” Luvia continued as a hint of malice flickered in her eyes. “Lord Parker and his family were important too, once upon a time. Is there any who can say with complete certainty that Lord Ross may not have to part with his collection too in days to come?”  
  
“What was that?” Sir Aston asked in outraged shock.  
  
“It’s honestly quite farcical, when you think about it, all this passing around of portraits and sculptures back and forth, over the generations.” Luvia mused.  
  
“…don’t get too full of yourself, brat.” Sir Aston snarled.  
  
Luvia gave a small laugh. “I’m not being full of myself.” She said before turning to face him again. “It’s just that when hyenas get barked at one too many times by ill-bred dogs, the hyenas eventually tear the throat out of one or another, to teach them their proper places.”  
  
“Why, you…!”  
  
Then he broke off, as the orchestra stopped playing, and the sound of a silver spoon tapping against a silver goblet called for everyone’s attention. Conversation, laughter, and the trading of barbs came to a halt, as eyes turned to where Lord Ross was moving to address them all. “I’ve just received word that Lady Barthomeloi has left the Clock Tower, and is on her way here even as we speak.” The corpulent man in a golden frock coat over a red shirt and trousers said. “I simply wished to inform you all, and to ask that you prepare accordingly. That will be all, and please, continue to enjoy the food and drink.”  
  
Murmurs of understanding echoed across the gathered magi-aristocrats, moments before conversations, laughter, and the trading of barbs resumed against an orchestral backdrop. “I’ll remember this.” Sir Aston hissed at Luvia. “And I _will_ settle the score with you.”  
  
“By all means,” Luvia mockingly replied. “I am at your convenience, whether it is by magic, blade, pistol, or even just simple hand to hand.”  
  
Sir Aston sniffed disdainfully before turning away and vanishing into the crowd, Luvia watching him all the while.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Dice clattered as they were tossed inside the cup, and then the cup was clattering in its turn, as it was pressed down against the ground. “Place your bets.” The dealer said.  
  
Some of the drivers and attendants not allowed to join their employers inside the mansion had formed an impromptu gambling ring in the parking area. Technically illegal, and by all rights, the guards on duty should have told them off. And they did, along with passing off a warning that they – the guards – had better not see a repeat later during their rounds.  
  
A wad of banknotes for every guard on duty guaranteed that much.  
  
“Evens.” A driver said.  
  
“I’m going with evens too.” Elisa said in her turn.  
  
“I’m putting my money on odds.” Another attendant said.  
  
“I’m on odds too.”  
  
“Odds over here as well.”  
  
Others present made their bets as well, and then the dealer lifted the cup, revealing the dice…  
  
…evens.  
  
Words of dismay and delight went up over the gambling ring, even as money was passed around, whether it was prizes handed out or losses getting collected. But while that was going on, something drew the attention of those present from a corner of their eyes, and causing them to turn in its direction.  
  
It was a balding old man with a neatly-trimmed white beard and muttonchops, dressed in a black frock coat with a high collar over a shirt and trousers in pale violet. He wore a white cravat with a gold-rimmed amethyst brooch, and his frilled cuffs were white. The gathered gamblers looked on in silence, following him with their eyes as the old man got into a car, one whose driver had kept the engine running idle, and who had not joined them or even conversed with them. Then the car drove off, carrying its passenger with them.  
  
“Well, that was weird.” One man said.  
  
“Yeah, no kidding.” Another man said.  
  
Elisa gave them all a look. “We all work for magi.” She said. “Shouldn’t we be used to weird stuff all the time?”  
  
That got a chorus of agreement from everyone present, and then calls were made for the dealer to get ready for the next round. Despite herself, though, Elisa was uneasy, her sixth sense tugging at her conscious mind, that something was wrong, and that the girl she’d looked after ever since she was a baby was in danger.  
  
“Make your bets, everyone!” the dealer called.  
  
“Sorry, I’m cutting my losses for now.” Elisa said, and giving a good-natured smile at the jeers and catcalls that went up in response. Waving the others goodbye while slipping out of the circle, she walked away to a soft distance, and reaching into her coat, pulled out her sidearm.  
  
A flick of a switch had the laser sights coming on, before Elisa chambered a round, 9x19 mm Parabellum with a hollow-point bullet. Then after making sure the safety was on, Elisa holstered her weapon again, before walking to move closer towards the mansion.  
  
“ _Sakura…_ ” she thought. “ _Stay safe._ ”  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
“Sakura,” Luvia began, as she approached Sakura at the snacks table, where the younger woman was filling up a plate with finger food.  
  
“Hmm?” Sakura hummed in acknowledgement of her cousin. “I see you’re looking rather bored, Luvia.”  
  
Luvia gave a small smile at that. “Not really,” she said. “The sightseeing is quite amusing, if nothing else. However, something seems off…starting a little while ago, the party’s atmosphere took a change for the worse.”  
  
“Oh? You didn’t hear?” Sakura asked before popping fried shrimp into her mouth.  
  
“Hear what?” Luvia prompted with crossed arms.  
  
Sakura masked her face with her fan while leaning in conspiratorially. “It seems that something important came up for Lady Barthomeloi.” She said softly. “They say she’s turned back towards the Clock Tower.”  
  
“Really? And so suddenly at that?” Luvia wondered before giving a small snort and continuing in Finnish. “ _I wouldn’t be surprised if the Queen decided she had better things to do than attend a celebration for the sake of celebration like this._ ”  
  
Sakura snickered. “ _Poor Lord Ross…_ ” she responded in the same language. “ _He’s going to lose face._ ”  
  
“ _He should be thankful the Queen gave him the courtesy of having an official reason as to her decision not to attend._ ” Luvia cheekily added.  
  
The two cousins shared a laugh at that, before Sakura offered Luvia her plate of finger food. Luvia accepted the offer, the two of them munching on finger food while looking and listening around them at the muttering and murmuring of their fellow partygoers, until at last, Lord Ross called for their attention again.  
  
“I’m very sorry to inform you all that Lady Barthomeloi has been informed of a serious matter demanding her personal attention while on the way here, and has thus returned to the Clock Tower.” Lord Ross began. “While it might not appear especially pressing for us, we cannot fault the Vice-Director for her dedication to the duties and responsibilities of her station, something we can all look up to as an example to aspire to follow. I know we’re all disappointed that Lady Barthomeloi won’t be joining us tonight, but even so, I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of the evening regardless.”  
  
As the short address came to an end, the partygoers broke out into a renewed mass of muttering and murmuring, and within a few minutes, people began to bade each other farewell before taking their leaves. Individuals first, then small groups, before whole cliques began to leave.  
  
“ _If Lady Barthomeloi isn’t coming,_ ” Luvia remarked in Finnish. “ _Then there’s no point in staying further._ ”  
  
Sakura chuckled at that. “ _You can also see how much everyone here actually regards the host._ ” She said.  
  
“ _Indeed._ ” Luvia agreed before they shared another laugh. “ _Shall we take our leave as well, then? We might only have had white wine, but perhaps we can have some tea between us before taking our rest for the evening._ ”  
  
“ _Hmm…now that sounds lovely…_ ” Sakura began, only to break off at a commotion on the far side of the hall. “What was that?”  
  
“I don’t know.” Luvia said. “Let’s go take a look.”  
  
“I’ve got your back.” Sakura said, falling into step behind Luvia. Making their way across the hall while politely stepping past and around the cliques and people still around, many of whom were equally-interested in what was going on, Luvia and Sakura eventually pushed forward to see the familiar form of Lord El-Melloi II attending to an unconscious old woman lying on a bench, while a younger woman, possibly the old woman’s daughter, stood nearby.  
  
Then everything went to hell.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Elisa staggered and struggled to stay on her feet as the ground shook, raising an arm to shield her face as an explosion shattered the mansion windows. “Oh no…” she whispered as her ringing ears began to hurt, and all the cuts on her face began to sting. “…Sakura!”  
  
Pulling out her sidearm, Elisa rushed into the building with her weapon held low in both hands, and she wasn’t alone. Household guards were rushing in from the outside, along with attendants and bodyguards forced to stay separate from their wards.  
  
Regardless of where they entered the hall from, they entered into a scene of carnage, bodies lying everywhere amidst the wreckage, small fires burning here and there, all to the sounds of people crying, groaning, moaning and calling for help. “Sakura!” Elisa shouted, before belatedly remembering she was in public. “Where are you? Lady Sakura!”  
  
There was no response, and Elisa found herself walking briskly through the ruins of the hall, looking from side to side, ignoring the injured, the dead, and the dying to look for her ward, and hoping despite the cold tightness in her chest that she wasn’t among the latter two. “Lady Sakura!” she shouted again, turning back and forth as guards and others began helping survivors. “Lady Sakura! Lady Sakura! Where are you? Please answer me!”  
  
And then…  
  
…an answer…  
  
“E-Elisa…” a voice weakly-called, and Elisa immediately rushed over, to where Luvia and Sakura were struggling to get up, covered in soot, scrapes, cuts and burns, their clothes torn and gashed all over.  
  
“Lady Sakura…Lady Luviagelita…!” Elisa said in relief as she rushed over, and holstering her sidearm, sank down to her knees before them. “Are you alright?”  
  
“My ears are still ringing.” Luvia said while dabbing at one of them. “But I don’t seem seriously injured…Sakura…?”  
  
“My ears hurt.” Sakura said with a nod. “But I think I’m fine…mostly…”  
  
Immediately, Elisa fumbled for her kerchiefs, having long had a habit of carrying two, one for herself, and another for Sakura. She handed them both to Luvia and Sakura this time, for them to wipe their faces with.  
  
“…good thing we stayed where we were.” Sakura eventually said. “Otherwise, it’d have taken longer for you to find us.”  
  
“I’m very sorry!” Elisa said with a bow. “But I had a…premonition of danger earlier. I should have come sooner, maybe even insisted on being allowed inside.”  
  
“Is that so?” Sakura asked with a chuckle. “I don’t really think you could have done that, but you’re here now, and as soon as you could at that. So I’d say there’s nothing to hold you responsible for.”  
  
“Lady Sakura…”  
  
“Well, well, well…” Luvia interrupted, and causing her cousin and her cousin’s bodyguard to turn to her. She grinned while holding up an intact bottle of wine. “You’re Catholic, aren’t you, Elisa? I think it’s not unreasonable to see _this_ as some sort of sign from God.”  
  
Sakura chuckled. “I think we could all use a drink.” She said.  
  
“I’m sure we could, my lady.” Elisa agreed, before helping Sakura and then Luvia to their feet.  
  
“Do you mind if I join you for that drink?” a feminine voice joined in, and they turned to see an unharmed Reines nearby, no doubt thanks to the mystic code she had inherited from her brother and predecessor, the late Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. Said mystic code, Volumen Hydragyrum, was right behind her, holding an unconscious, bleeding, and very battered Lord El-Melloi II in its arms.  
  
“I wouldn’t mind you joining us, Lady El-Melloi.” Luvia said. “But I daresay you have to bring your older brother to a hospital, first. You can join us later if you wish, though.”  
  
Reines made a sound of disgust. “I’m grateful for the offer,” she said, before jabbing a thumb in Waver’s direction. “But I think brother’s affairs will take up the rest of the night. Oh well…at least we’re in better shape than those clowns.”  
  
They all turned in the indicated direction, where Lord Ross and Sir Aston were both frantically trying to save their family’s art collection, happily burning away. Luvia tutted at the sight.  
  
“What a waste…” she said.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Hours later, and the Edelfelts were watching through familiars as the Parker mansion in a country estate several kilometers away from London burned to the ground. Enforcers were trying to break through the property’s bounded fields, to try and salvage anything before Lord Parker’s final act of spite after his failed bombing cum assassination attempt denied them – and Lord Ross – anything of value, but they weren’t having much luck.  
  
“ _His family might have been disgraced,_ ” Luvia mentally remarked. “ _But like I told Sir Aston earlier, they were important once too. And in our society, power and importance go hand in hand._ ”  
  
“ _…Aunt Lumikki warned me about how the intrigues here in Britain were much worse than those in Finland._ ” Sakura said.  
  
“ _Are you surprised?_ ” Luvia asked.  
  
“ _I guess it never really sank in until just now._ ” Sakura replied. “ _A bombing in the middle of a party? And the culprit enjoyed the host’s food and drink beforehand? The host who graciously invited him into his home despite all the bad blood between them? I don’t know about you, but if this is the level of intrigue here in London, I’d rather be in Finland, or somewhere else on the fringes…_ ”  
  
“ _…where the intrigues, plots, counterplots, treacheries and conspiracies don’t make mockeries of us all._ ” Luvia concluded. “ _Be grateful you have the opportunity, no, the_ liberty _to make that choice. Some of us aren’t as lucky as you._ ”  
  
“ _Sorry, Luvia._ ” Sakura contritely thought.  
  
“ _No need to apologize._ ” Luvia said with a mental smile. “ _I wasn’t offended. Others might be, though, just something to keep in mind going forward._ ”  
  
Sakura gave a mental hum of acknowledgement, continuing to watch with Luvia as the Parker mansion caved in on itself in a shower of sparks, a roaring blast of flame, and an even greater volume of smoke pouring into the sky. Luvia opened her eyes, returning to the here and now in her London residence.  
  
“I guess that’s the end for the Parker family.” She said. “At least the last of them went out swinging, and on his own terms.”  
  
“…maybe.” Sakura said.  
  
“You disagree?” Luvia asked.  
  
“He did just try to kill us.” Sakura pointed out. “Well, not _us_ , we were just collateral, but you know what I mean.”  
  
“True,” Luvia said with a nod. “But that aside, there’s nothing we can really hold against him, is there? At least, on our part.”  
  
“…I suppose not.”  
  
Luvia smiled, and then picking up her teacup, took a sip of her drink.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
A/N  
  
Just goes to show that just because things have gotten better, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Sakura either. That, and she should be thankful that she’s still just a branch scion of Edelfelt, as it means she doesn’t have to deal with all the shit Luvia has to wade through in London as the head of their family.  
  
Yes, the Lady Barthomeloi referred to here is resident badass, Lorelei Barthomeloi, as implied by the mention of her official rank, the Vice-Director of the Mages Association. She is also the ‘Queen’ mentioned, though AFAIK that’s just an affectionate name for her by the Clock Tower people, the Queen of the Clock Tower, that is. Makes sense, and it fits.


	4. Chapter 3: Il Mondo (Part III)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 3: Il Mondo (Part III)**

Sakura knocked on the double doors, and on hearing an invitation from within, entered. “Ah, Sakura!” Kaleva Edelfelt, her uncle and Luvia’s father (and proxy head while she was in London), cheerfully greeted her as she stepped inside. “Come in, come in.”

“The maidservant said you had something important to discuss?” Sakura asked as she closed the doors behind her and approached her uncle who quickly seated himself behind his desk.

“Oh yes…you see, there’s been an interesting development lately, and with it an opportunity has arisen.” Kaleva said with a nod and a smile, folding his hands on the desktop in front of him. “Long story short, we need you to return to the land of your birth, and assume the office, authority, and responsibilities of the Second Owner of Fuyuki City.”

Sakura immediately raised an eyebrow. “This isn’t a ‘no’, mind you,” she began. “But something big must have gone down if you’re asking me to do that at this time. If I remember correctly, the plan, well, the _plans_ weren’t supposed to go into action until another decade at least. Especially the best case ones, which…well, basically have one of my children marrying their cousin born of my sister.”

Kaleva tilted his head. “You hadn’t heard?” he asked curiously.

Sakura smiled wryly. “I hear a lot of things, uncle.” She said. “Which of them do you refer to?”

“Heaven’s Feel took place quite recently.” Kaleva said. “In fact, it took place while you were in South America taking care of Lord Crépin’s bastard, and climaxed while you were spending time with Luvia in London.”

“…I had heard of that,” Sakura admitted after a moment’s thought. “But I never really paid it much mind. Even if a Grand Ritual had gone awry by taking place decades ahead of schedule, that’s not really my problem. Let my sister take care of it, she’s the Second Owner. Or the local Church representative, given how…asinine, they’ve been about managing the Fuyuki Grail after what happed in the ritual’s third iteration.”

“Oh?” Kaleva drawled with an amused expression. “The land the ritual takes place on might be yours someday, and yet you don’t care about it?”

“It’s not my responsibility…yet.” Sakura bluntly replied. “And so what if the land there is valuable? All I really need for relevance and legitimacy as a magus is the crest fused to my spine. And while my sister lives in Fuyuki, I’m an Edelfelt first, and a Tohsaka second. Even if the land loses value or is completely lost one way or another, _this_ is home.”

Sakura paused, and then tilted her head with narrowed eyes. “Is my sister dead, then?” she asked. “Or has something happened to her that allows me to just smoothly step into her place as Second Owner?”

“Then I will be as blunt as you.” Kaleva said while briefly closing his eyes. “The fifth iteration of the Heaven’s Feel ritual not only took place decades ahead of schedule, it exposed certain…irregularities.”

“Such as?”

“How about the fact that the Fuyuki Grail was never truly a wish machine in the first place?” Kaleva asked back. “Well, according to the reports Luvia forwarded from London, it could be used in such a fashion, but that’s only as a side-effect of its true purpose. A useful one, too, to mask the truth behind the Fuyuki Grail. No, it’s true purpose is that of a World Gate.”

Sakura blinked and burst out laughing. “Seriously?” she asked after a few moments.

“Seriously.” Kaleva replied, and Sakura laughed again. “You think this is funny?”

“In a cosmic sort of way, yes.” Sakura said. “And I can also figure out what happened next, considering the Association insists that any and all experiments to reach the Root be done under their direct supervision. That is, my sister’s been taking into custody by the College of Law.”

“Yes, she has.” Kaleva said with a nod. “Though it goes much worse than simply conducting an unsanctioned experiment to reach the Root. As you well know, this is the fifth iteration of the Heaven’s Feel ritual, and all indications point to the Fuyuki Grail having been a World Gate for the past century and more since its construction.”

Sakura laughed again. “In other words,” she said. “Those wretched Tohsakas and their allies have been pulling the wool on the eyes of just about the rest of the world this whole time, and the Association doesn’t appreciate that.”

“Oh it gets worse.”

Sakura’s merry expression vanished. “Are you serious?” she asked.

“Oh yes, I am completely serious.” Kaleva said, also beginning to laugh. “You mentioned the Tohsakas’ allies, just now…well, one of them, the Matou, are revealed to have been blood-slaves of their patriarch, which is apparently a Dead Apostle of some kind or another.”

Sakura palmed her face, while Kaleva laughed in his turn. “You’re right, though.” He eventually said. “It is funny, a comedy, even, in a cosmic sort of way.”

Sakura took a deep breath. “And?” she asked. “What happened to the vampire? Did my sister at least finish the job?”

“Unclear.” Kaleva said with a shake of his head. “According to Luvia’s report, your sister may have destroyed the vampire’s body, but the nature of its mysteries are such that it’s unclear whether that might have been enough to finish the job.”

“…well, that’s vampires for you.” Sakura said with a sigh. “They’re like cockroaches and bad weeds, so very hard to put down for good.”

“Indeed,” Kaleva said with a nod. “In any case, your sister faces plenty of charges at the Clock Tower even as we speak. One, conducting an experiment to reach the Root without Association supervision. Two, conspiring to conduct said experiment to reach the Root without Association supervision. Three, negotiating, allying, and cooperating with a Dead Apostle without Association supervision. And four, gross negligence and sheer incompetence in the line of duty as a Second Owner.”

Kaleva paused. “I’m sure you have your thoughts on all those charges.” He said.

“The first three are probably less directed to my sister as much as they are against the Tohsaka family as a whole.” Sakura said. “Unfortunately, my sister is the current head of that family, so she bears the responsibility. A shame, but someone _has_ to take responsibility.”

Sakura paused in her turn. “The fourth charge, though…” she began. “…do you mean to say that my sister is claiming ignorance of the Fuyuki Grail’s true purpose, and of the fact that the Matou patriarch was – _is_ – a Dead Apostle?”

“Excellent deduction,” Kaleva said with a nod. “Yes, that is precisely what your sister is claiming. Apparently, she is aiming to plead guilty to a lesser charge so as to be acquitted of the more serious ones.”

“Hmm…considering how idiotic our birth father was,” Sakura mused. “And how young my sister also was at the time of his death, there are grounds for such an argument. He might have neglected to tell her, or failed to leave her with any materials that could point to the true natures of the Fuyuki Grail and the Matou patriarch, before his death.”

“Luvia agrees, and along with other members of the Trambelio Faction, have pushed for the trial to adjourn until a proper investigation has been conducted.” Kaleva said. “There is also the question of the Church’s involvement, as they have managed the Fuyuki Grail for over half a century now. They couldn’t have _not_ known about the Fuyuki Grail’s true nature in that time.”

“Hmm…but, even if my sister gets acquitted of the first three charges laid against her,” Sakura began. “She would still have proven herself unsuitable for the post of Second Owner. Isn’t that why that one, lesser charge even managed to get past the initial hearings? She failed to notice the Fuyuki Grail’s true nature. She failed to notice the Matou patriarch was a Dead Apostle.”

“And in failing both,” Kaleva added. “She almost failed to contain a Masquerade breach.”

“…that bad, huh?”

“Yes.”

Sakura sighed. “This isn’t funny anymore.” She said.

“Indeed.”

Sakura sighed again. “Well,” she began after several moments. “Going back to the main point, and again, I’m not saying ‘no’, but I’m rather curious why I’m being tapped as the new Second Owner for Fuyuki City. To be sure, I’m technically still a scion of the Tohsaka lineage of magi, and logically with the heir discredited, I’d be her successor. But reality is hardly as simple and straightforward as that. For one thing, Tohsaka as a whole is discredited by the apparent deceptions and treacheries of their past generations. Also, my claim of being an Edelfelt first and a Tohsaka second is more than fancy rhetoric on my part.”

Sakura paused, and raised her arms to gesture around her. “I grew up in Finland, under the care of House Edelfelt.” She said. “My crest was broken off that of a mainline member of House Edelfelt, and not of the Tohsaka family. It answers to Edelfelt, not to Tohsaka. I’m sure Japanese magi with a presence in the Clock Tower would argue that I am…unsuitable, to supervise valuable territory in a place that might well be alien to me as Japan.”

“That,” Kaleva concurred with a series of nods. “And there are other families in the Clock Tower who’d want a look at the ruins of the World Gate in Fuyuki for their own purposes.”

“Indeed,” Sakura agreed before narrowing her eyes. “So why?”

“Why indeed…” Kaleva said while sitting back in his seat. “…tell me, Sakura. Do you know why we went through so much effort to, well, speaking frankly _kidnap_ you as a newborn that you may be raised here with us?”

“Of course I do.” Sakura said immediately. “It is compensation – the first payment (in kind) – for the theft of an Edelfelt Crest by the Tohsaka family during the third iteration of the Heaven’s Feel ritual.”

“And there you go.” Kaleva said while taking one of the files on his desk, and then opening it to the relevant page, turned it for Sakura to see. “You are a scion of Tohsaka, but you are also Edelfelt first and foremost. You were trained and tested properly as a magus, with many achievements to your name even at your age, vouched for by lords and scions of both Trambelio and Meluastea allegiances. In other words, not only are you qualified for the post of Second Owner, you are also qualified to cleanse Tohsaka of your ancestors’ collective shame.”

Sakura was silent for a long while, scanning the page as she was with her eyes. After a couple of minutes, she glanced at her uncle, and raised an eyebrow. “I notice the Mages Association found it curious that Edelfelt is currently in possession of the Tohsaka heiress supposedly stolen away some eleven years ago.” She dryly remarked.

“And your point is?” Kaleva asked, looking and sounding amused.

Sakura smirked. “Luvia thinks she’s funny and clever.” She said.

“You mean she isn’t?” Kaleva asked back.

Sakura laughed. “No, she is.” She said. “That, and she’s got quite the nerve to respond to that by noting that it’s even more curious that almost all the circuits in the Tohsaka Crest belong to our family.”

Kaleva laughed in his turn. “And that is why the trial of your sister is currently adjourned.” He said. “Luvia was completely correct, after all. Each and every test of the Tohsaka Crest returns the same result. Virtually all the circuits it possesses belongs to one or another of _our_ ancestors, with Tohsaka’s paltry contributions forming only a…superficial, layer to the crystallized legacy of our family.”

“Humph…” Sakura snorted. “And which makes our claims preeminent, both by tradition and long-established precedent, due to such unquestionable proof of Tohsaka’s theft and treachery.”

“As you say.”

Sakura was silent for a long moment. “My sister’s trial may be adjourned at present,” she finally said. “But my appointment as Second Owner is confirmed?”

“It is.” Kaleva said while getting to his feet, and gathering the files on his desk, stacked them on top of each other into a pair of columns each around twelve or so inches high. “Denying our claim would have the other houses and lesser families up in arms over the precedents set and discarded.”

“Alright then…” Sakura said before tilting her head. “How much gear can I can I bring?”

“As much as you need.” Kaleva replied.

“Do I still retain access to my accounts?” Sakura asked.

“Of course.” Kaleva said with a nod.

“Do I get to bring troop support along?”

“Yes, but try not to go overboard.”

“Will one company be alright?”

“Yes, a company’s worth of troops to back you up is reasonable.”

“I’m bringing Elisa with me.”

“That goes without saying.”

“When do I leave?”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura looked up from where she was reviewing the files and other material she’d brought with her, and turned to the door at a knock thereon. “Come in.” she said, already knowing who it was thanks to her bounded fields.

That, and while her personal villa – well, _cabin_ (made of brick and not logs, thank you very much) – was about twenty minutes or so away from the main residence, it was still well inside the ancestral lands of House Edelfelt. Infiltration was virtually impossible, and an outright breach of the defenses would have Edelfelt battle-magi, spell-caster auxiliaries, and PMCs with mechanized and gunship support bearing down on the invaders with overwhelming force.

So there was no real concern about unexpected knocks here. Edelfelt and their vassals were as safe here as a child would be in their mother’s arms, in the winter wonderland that was the Lapland countryside.

Only it wasn’t winter right now. But that wasn’t important.

“Sorry to interrupt, Sakura.” Elisa said while stepping into the cabin’s living room, only to find herself coming up short at the piles and stacks of files, reports, books, and other written materials covering the coffee table. “…what’s all this?”

“We’re headed to Japan in about a week.” Sakura said. “I’m taking up the post of Second Owner for Fuyuki. I know, way ahead of schedule, but something came up.”

“I’m sure something did.” Elisa said with a nod. “Though, that doesn’t really answer my question.”

“I might know how to speak, read, and write Japanese,” Sakura said, which wasn’t really unusual considering the long-term plans to bring Tohsaka to heel (and which turned out to be useless now what with the deceit and treachery of past Tohsaka generations finally calling in what was owed to them). “But I don’t really know much about Japan or the city I’ll be taking charge of.”

“…do your best, Sakura.” Elisa said after a moment, with an encouraging smile.

Sakura smiled back. “I will.” She said. “Though, that’s not all you want to say, is it?”

“A week of reading up about Japanese customs, history, and the like won’t really make you knowledgeable about your birth country.” Elisa said. “I’m not saying what you’re doing is pointless, but…it’s just something to keep in mind.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Sakura said with a sigh. “But, it’s better than going in ignorant and expecting Japan to be just like Finland.”

Elisa nodded, and Sakura nodded back. “And,” she said. “Is there something else you need?”

“Hmm…I think I have most of the answers I came here for.”

“Oh?”

“I just received orders to assemble a company of troops to accompany you.” Elisa said. “They didn’t say why or where, but I have those now.”

“Hmm…” Sakura hummed. “Any thoughts on what we should bring?”

“Two infantry platoons, preferably three, just in case.” Elisa immediately said. “We’ll be in unknown territory, after all. We’ll also need at least one sniper team, three if I can help it. A mortar battery might also be useful, and a squadron of gunships.”

Sakura snorted, and then laughed. “A mortar battery?” she echoed. “We’re not going to war, you know.”

Elisa shrugged. “Maybe,” she said. “But you never know. And you do remember a couple of years back, when we had to smoke out a group of heretics from their hidey-holes?”

“Okay…I see your point.” Sakura said with a nod. “Alright then, I’ll leave it to you. Though, to quote my uncle, don’t go overboard.”

Elisa beamed. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, Sakura.” She said.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I’m rather curious, Sakura.” Marjatta Edelfelt began.

“About what?” Sakura asked.

The cousins sat at a wooden table in an out of the way sitting room at the main Edelfelt residence, playing a game of cards between them. A tea set sat to one side of the table, with both cousins each having a cup of tea beside them. From a phonograph in one corner of the room, the tunes of Chopin’s Nocturne in B major, No. 1 drifted through the room.

“Father told me about your conversation earlier today.” Marjatta said. “That, and you’re heading over to Japan in a week’s time.”

“And what’s so curious about it?” Sakura asked.

“Hmm…” Marjatta hummed while taking a card off the top of the deck on the table between them, and adding it to her hand. “Well, for starters, you admitted you’d heard about Heaven’s Feel while you were at the Clock Tower. That, and you weren’t interested in it.”

“And?” Sakura prompted while also drawing from the deck, and adding it to her hand.

“Are you really uninterested in Heaven’s Feel?” Marjatta asked.

Sakura smiled. “The World Gate function aside,” she said. “I’ll admit the idea of using a wish machine to grant any one wish so long as it doesn’t trespass on the domains of True Magic _is_ tempting. But…well, we were taught all about how wishes inevitably rebound onto the one who made the wish. I mean, it’s not just those old stories about wish-granting djinns, sprites, and nymphs either. The Fuyuki Grail is hardly unique as a wish machine from times past.”

“Certainly,” Marjatta said while resting her face against an elbow. “There were other wish machines in times past, now lost to magi of our day and age. And as I recall, the Fuyuki Grail was – at least, supposedly – a replica of one such artifact. I suppose it’s for the best that it’s gone now.”

“On that we are in agreement.” Sakura said while discarding several cards from her hand.

Marjatta hummed while continuing with their game. “I get the sense, though, that you’re not really eager to handle this assignment.” She said.

“Orders are what they are.” Sakura said.

“Hmm…” Marjatta hummed while also discarding several cards from her hand. “But, you’ve also always known this day would come.”

Sakura snorted. “And you’ve also always known that I’d prefer an outcome where I wouldn’t have to permanently leave Finland either.” She said while adding another card to her hand.

“You can visit anytime you want.” Marjatta pointed out.

“It’s not the same.” Sakura said. “ _This_ is home. Nowhere else is.”

“…I suppose I can’t argue with you there.” Marjatta said while adding another card to her hand. “Oh very well, I’ll write to Luvia this evening, tell her to put her back into it.”

“Into what?” Sakura asked while sliding another 1-Euro coin across the table.

“Making sure Cousin Rin doesn’t end up vanishing for good into the depths of the College of Law, or some other corner of the Clock Tower.” Marjatta said. “By all accounts, she’s a decent woman, who gladly stood trial on all charges to take responsibility for the sins of her entire family.”

“I read the report.” Sakura said. “Luvia did say Rin’s strategy to at least avoid execution was pointing out that despite all her handicaps she ultimately managed to prevent that Matou vampire from completing Heaven’s Feel, and managed to keep the Masquerade’s veil intact, if only by the narrowest of margins.”

“She did the best she could.” Marjatta agreed, and also sliding a 1-Euro coin across the table. “I think between that and her genuine sense of responsibility, she is an admirable person in her own way. I would love to know her better, and I’m sure you would too.”

“…I admit, I’m rather curious about this stranger of a sister I’ve long known about but have never actually met.” Sakura admitted after a moment and another coin slid forward. “Here’s to Luvia managing to pull _that_ off. We get a chance to get to know my sister, we manage to resolve the Edelfelt-Tohsaka feud with a more optimistic outcome than previously-expected, and I get to go back home here in Finland after this little assignment on the far side of the world is finished.”

“Hear, hear.” Marjatta agreed, also upping her bet, and which Sakura reciprocated before Marjatta upped her bet again.

Sakura smiled. “Looks like I win tonight, Marjatta.” She said while laying out her hand on the table. “Here are four jacks, so tomorrow’s your treat again.”

“Sorry, Sakura.” Marjatta said with a smile of her own. “I have a four of a kind, too: three queens, and a joker.”

Sakura tutted in disappointment. “Looks like we’re even again, and it’ll be my place for tomorrow’s game.” She said. “Oh well, you win some and you lose some. In any case, it’s getting late, so I’ll go on home.”

“My, my,” Marjatta teased while gathering the cards together. “That’s just what you’d expect of an experienced soldier of fortune. Cut your losses while you still have something to lose. Sleep well, and pleasant dreams.”

“Likewise.” Sakura said with a nod, and making to leave, stopped as Marjatta cleared her throat.

“If you’ll take my advice,” she began while shuffling the cards in her hands. “This assignment would be less tedious if you take the opportunity it presents to see new places, meet new people, make new friends, and have good memories to remember in times to come.”

Sakura mulled it over for a few moments, and then smiling, gave a shrug. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She said. “Thanks for the advice, Marjatta, and good night.”

Marjatta beamed. “You’re welcome,” she said. “And good night.”

Sakura nodded and left the room, while Marjatta finished shuffling the deck. Then palming the card on top, she gave it a look and smiled wider.

It was the Ace of Spades.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura walked down a dirt path leading away from the lights and carefully-tended gardens of the main Edelfelt residence, and into the surrounding countryside, lit only by the Moon and stars above. The spring night was cloudless and bright, more than enough for Sakura to see her way with without needing to reinforce her eyes. The air was similarly clean and crisp, a familiar air that was completely unlike the dirtied air of cities no matter where you went around the world.

Every now and then, though, a slight breeze would pick up, and while it was already spring, this far north the wind’s cold could still bite all the way to the bone. Sakura shivered from one such breeze, and rubbing her arms, hurried on her way to her cabin. As she did so, she looked up at the sky, at the stars of night glimmering in their countless millions.

It was a view completely unknown to those who lived their whole lives in cities, and another reason for which Sakura was thankful to grow up in the countryside. No matter how much she knew better, seeing the heavenly vista above her made her want to reach up, as though to hold the stars in her hands, and hold them to herself.

_Take the opportunity it presents to see new places, meet new people, make new friends, and have good memories to remember in times to come._

Sakura smiled to herself as she remembered Marjatta’s advice from earlier. It was good advice, and Sakura could see how it might help make this potentially – though hopefully not – long-term assignment that much more remarkable.

“ _Well, we’ll see._ ” Sakura thought. “ _At the very least, I’ll get a feel for things first before deciding one way or another. Though…I’ll still have to clean house, regardless._ ”

Sakura sighed at the thought, and picked up the pace. The College of Law was thorough, but they were still only Human in the end, and Humans always made mistakes. One way or another, and to one degree or another.

“ _Maggots feast on dead meat._ ” Sakura thought. “ _Now that there’s no Second Owner, and the College of Law’s vacated the place with their spoils, maggots might just come crawling out of the woodwork. If so, then I’ll take great pleasure in burning them out._ ”

Smiling viciously at the thought of a vampire hunt, Sakura busied herself with thoughts of how to dig out and burn the taint of vampirism from Fuyuki. Easier said than done, but it was doable, and nothing of great value could be achieved without equal effort and sacrifice anyway.

This was going to be _fun_.

By the time she’d arrived at her cabin, she’d come up with more than a few ideas, and while they needed polishing and research to check on their viability, it was a start, regardless.

“Welcome home, Sakura.” Elisa said, standing up from where she was seated at a table on the front porch, working on some task. “I’ve prepared dinner if you want.”

Technically, Sakura had already eaten dinner earlier. But she wasn’t going to turn the offer down, especially when Elisa was the one who made it.

“That sounds lovely. I’ll have a bite, please.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

A short time skip, and it’s off to Finland, even as things go FUBAR on the other side of the world.


	5. Chapter 4: Il Mondo (Part IV)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 4: Il Mondo (Part IV)**

“Hmm…this is going to complicate things.”

Sakura stood on a hilltop at the outskirts of Fuyuki City, looking out over the intervening space to the towering, tree-grown bulk of Mt. Enzou. And at its peak, there was a collection of low wooden buildings, clustered together behind a wall of whitewashed stone: Ryuudo Temple. It was at the latter that Sakura kept her gaze on, eyes narrowed and face set with irritation.

“In what way, my lady?” Elisa asked, standing to one side, and closer to Sakura than the other guards, all of whom kept their distance, but forming a protective circle around their mistress and her convoy.

“Disconnecting the Fuyuki Grail from the local ley-lines is easy enough, it’ll just take time and a lot of effort.” Sakura replied. “But even if you disconnect the Fuyuki Grail from the local ley-lines, that just makes it inactive. Reactivating it would be as simple as reconnecting it to the local ley-lines. And considering all the trouble that thing’s brought and will bring again otherwise, taking things in hand here in Fuyuki will require the permanent…neutralization, of the Fuyuki Grail.”

“Hmm…and with all those buildings on top of the mountain,” Elisa made the connection. “Blowing the Grail isn’t really an option.”

“Indeed,” Sakura sourly said with a nod. “For all we know, the damn thing is load-bearing, and physical destruction could cause the entire mountaintop to cave in. Even if we forcibly evacuated the temple beforehand, the subsequent spectacle would simply draw too much attention.”

Giving a sigh, Sakura crossed her arms in thought. It took her a few minutes, but eventually she came to a decision, and gave a nod.

“Disconnecting the ley-lines will do for starters,” she said. “As for the Fuyuki Grail itself, that’ll have to be a long-term project.”

“I assume you have a solution in mind?” Elisa asked, following Sakura as she headed back to her car.

“Yes.” Sakura said, though she declined from explaining until she was sitting in the back with Elisa, and they were driving away with the rest of their convoy. “The details will need to be filled in, but the gist of it is that we evacuate the temple, excavate the Fuyuki Grail, and then airlift it for final disposal.”

Elisa raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t the Fuyuki Grail supposed to be a massive construct, at least according to the official record?” she asked.

“Like I said,” Sakura said with a wry smile. “The details will need to be filled in.”

“Yes,” Elisa said with a nod, before narrowing her eyes. “Though, knowing you, Sakura, you already have some ideas on what ‘final disposal’ actually involves.”

“My first thought is to just dump it into the sea.” Sakura said. “Somewhere deep enough that even if it can avoid getting crushed by the pressure before it reaches the bottom, it would be so deep nothing can possibly bring it back to the surface.”

“I imagine you know of such a deep place?” Elisa prompted.

“The Marianas Trench off the Eastern Philippines seems to qualify for such a disposal site.” Sakura said.

“I…see…”

Sakura briefly closed her eyes. “But,” she continued. “It’s a long way here to the Marianas, enough so that someone can intercept and acquire the Fuyuki Grail along the way. That, and it complicates the whole issue of how to airlift the Fuyuki Grail in the first place.”

“An alternative would be needed then.” Elisa said.

“Yes…and fortunately, there should be plenty close by.” Sakura said with a smirk. “Again, the Fuyuki Grail will be airlifted out of the mountain, and then brought to an active volcano, disposed of in a lava pool.”

“…that does seem simpler, and more final, than dumping it into the sea.” Elisa remarked.

“That it does, doesn’t it?” Sakura asked with a smile. “Once the Fuyuki Grail has been disposed of, we can fill in the empty cavern, reconstruct the mountaintop and the sacred precincts thereon, and then allow the monks to come back. Naturally, their memories will have to be suitably altered.”

Elisa nodded slowly. “It seems a solid outline.” She said. “Just…expensive, both in terms of financial and material resources, manpower and equipment needed to perform it, and of course, detailed planning to actually guide the operation.”

“Quite…this will be a long-term project.” Sakura said with a nod of her own. “Though, this assumes the College of Law doesn’t have its own plans for the Fuyuki Grail. It’s quite possible they might claim it for themselves, on behalf of the Mages Association’s Clock Tower as a whole.”

“What will you do then, Sakura?”

Sakura shrugged. “If the Clock Tower wants the Fuyuki Grail, they can have it.” She said with a small smile. “One less problem off my hands, so more power to them if they want to solve it for me.”

“That much is true.”

Sakura nodded. “Well,” she said. “For now I’ll just have to work to sever the connections between the local ley-lines and the Fuyuki Grail, though that’ll have to wait until the timing is right.”

“Oh?”

“The rituals will be less likely to fail and more likely to succeed if I sync them with a natural cycle.” Sakura elaborated, and Elisa nodded in understanding.

“I see your point.” She said.

“That doesn’t mean, though,” Sakura continued with narrowed eyes. “That I’ll be sitting idle on my responsibilities as Second Owner. The Fuyuki Grail is just one pressing issue that needs to be dealt with to bring this territory back in hand. If others can be resolved in the meantime, then why not?”

“On that note,” Elisa began while taking a file next to her on the seat, and handing it to Sakura. “I’ve located the quarry and compiled the relevant information. If you want, you can take care of it as early as tonight.’

“Very well done,” Sakura said while looking over the file. “Yes, this will work out very nicely.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Shinji Matou,” Sakura began, later in the evening. “I can see why the College of Law let you go with only a token examination and some basic questioning.”

Pausing, Sakura tilted her head at the faint expression of outrage and frustration on the young man’s face. They were in his apartment in a working class district of the city, bounded fields keeping anyone outside from seeing what was happening inside through the windows, or hearing through the walls.

All around the apartment, Sakura’s PMCs stood with silent watchfulness and looming menace in their camouflage-pattern BDUs and flak jackets, H&K MP5 submachine guns held relaxed but ready in their hands. Elisa was among them, though in her case, she kept her MP5 on her back, instead pointing her sidearm at the back of Shinji’s head.

That was the reason he was kneeling on the floor, hands pressed over the back of his head. Not that it would do much good if Elisa ever pulled the trigger, the nine-millimeter would still punch through his hands and the back of his head to bury itself in his skull.

Then again, it wasn’t supposed to.

“Are you angry?” Sakura asked. “Don’t be: it’s just a statement of fact. You lack the ability to use magecraft, and therefore the Mages Association gains nothing from taking you into custody. That said, you’re not completely worthless…though not to me, or the Association.”

In an instant, Sakura had a dagger pressed against the side of Shinji’s neck, expertly held in such a way that the pulsing of his carotid could be seen against the blade, but not enough to actually break skin, much less rupture the blood vessel beneath. She did, however, raise an eyebrow at Shinji wetting himself at feeling cold steel against his neck.

_Pathetic…and this is my sister’s fiancé?_

_Just what the hell was my mother thinking, betrothing Rin to this nobody?_

“You might have no ability to use magecraft, but you remain a descendant of Makiri Zolgen.” Sakura continued, and graciously deciding not to remark on Shinji wetting himself. “In your veins flows its blood, from the days before it threw away its Humanity to become a monster that feeds on Human life. Your blood…its blood…blood is the stuff of souls…”

Shinji visibly sagged in relief as Sakura pulled her dagger away from his neck. “But,” she continued. “I am not entirely without mercy. Makiri Zolgen may still be alive, but it may also be dead for good, killed by my sister.”

“Sister…?” Shinji echoed in disbelief. “That’s impossible…Rin doesn’t have…”

“You don’t need to understand.” Sakura interrupted. “All you need to know is that I am indeed Rin Tohsaka’s younger sister, and her…provisional, successor as the Second Owner. And I intend to clean house while I am here.”

Sakura paused and drew herself up. “As I was saying,” she continued. “Makiri Zolgen’s current status is still in air. If it is alive, then you are a potential threat, but if it is dead, then killing you has no purpose. I won’t hesitate to kill, but I don’t kill for the sake of killing. So I’m willing to offer you a deal.”

“A deal?” Shinji echoed.

“Yes.” Sakura said with a smile. “Leave this city, and never come back. Do so, remove yourself from potentially directly threatening this city as a…vector, for your patriarch’s taint, and I will spare your life.”

Shinji’s face was a mask of shock and disbelief. “W-wait…” he protested. “You can’t be serious…where am I supposed to go? You can’t just throw me out and force me to fend for myself!”

Sakura shrugged. “In the order of your questions,” she said. “I don’t know, and I certainly can.”

“This isn’t right, damn you!” Shinji raged, despite the gun aimed at the back of his head. “I have rights too!”

Sakura looked unimpressed. “I’m not here to discuss philosophy or legalities.” She said. “I am here to put Fuyuki’s supernatural affairs back in order. And as far as those affairs are concerned, you are a loose end that needs tying up, one way or another.”

In the next instant, Sakura’s dagger was back, and once again pressed against Shinji’s neck. “I’ve made my offer.” Sakura coldly said. “Take it or leave it.”

“I’ll take it.” Shinji squeaked, and wetting himself a second time.

“Splendid!” Sakura said with a beaming smile. “I’m glad we were able to come to a mutually-satisfactory arrangement. You have one week, at the end of which I expect to see you gone.”

“…A WEEK?” Shinji exploded in outrage, only to be reminded of his place by a nudge from Elisa’s pistol.

“That one week is already quite the risk for me.” Sakura said, before narrowing her eyes. “That said, it would be prudent to take certain measures to ensure your…abiding, by our mutually-consented terms.”

Then reversing her dagger, Sakura cut the front of Shinji’s shirt open, and exposing his scrawny frame. “What are you…!” Shinji began only to be cut off as Elisa put him in a neck lock with her arms, pistol pressed against one of his temples.

Meanwhile, Sakura pulled out a piece of jade from Imaginary Numbers Space, and pressed it against Shinji’s chest, over his heart. Then she began to cast a spell in Finnish.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!” Shinji screamed as his chest exploded with excruciating pain, writhing in Elisa’s grip as glowing light erupted from the gem pressed against his chest. All the while Sakura continued to chant her aria, and then the gem _sank_ into Shinji’s body.

“W-what…what have you done to me?” Shinji gasped as the light faded, and the pain receded to an enduring ache in his chest.

“Simple, really,” Sakura said, and poking a finger against the flesh and bone over Shinji’s wildly-beating heart. “I just made sure that loose ends would be tied up once the seven days I’ve given you runs out. If you still haven’t left this city by sunrise on the eighth day, that spell I bound to your heart will corrode your body from the inside out.”

“…WHAT?”

Sakura smirked. “The bonds that hold your body together will literally fall apart,” She said. “And your body will melt into a liquid mass of organic chemicals of completely no use to anyone, much less your wretched monster of a patriarch. Don’t worry too much, though: so long as you leave Fuyuki before sunrise on the eighth day, nothing will happen.”

“…and if I come back?” Shinji snarled.

Sakura’s smirk turned vicious. “Try it,” she said. “And find out. The same goes for trying to have some dime-for-a-dozen spell-caster or upstart magus that you might know get rid of this spell.”

“You…you…”

Sakura’s smile didn’t waver as she pulled out another piece of jade from Imaginary Numbers Space. “Just one more thing,” she said. “And our business tonight will be concluded.”

“Wait…stop…please…! I…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!”

Shinji screamed and writhed as Sakura again pressed a gem against his chest, forcibly weaving her spell around his heart and binding her concepts into its being. And from there, just as blood was sent by the heart to all corners of the body, Sakura’s spell and its concepts would spread over the whole of his body.

“There we go.” Sakura said, and stepping back with a grateful nod at Elisa, who let Shinji go. Exhausted by the trauma of the spells cast on him, the young man immediately collapsed onto the floor, heaving and gasping. “That wasn’t so bad, was it? Just a little something just in case that damn Makiri Zolgen catches up to you.”

“You…you…” Shinji gasped before glaring at Sakura. “…when Rin finds out about this…!”

“I’ll deal with that when the time comes.” Sakura dismissively replied. “ _If_ she finds out, that is.”

“The police…!” Shinji shouted while struggling to push himself off the ground. And then he was tumbling away, a Finn shot blowing him across the room at a single gesture from Sakura. Then he was vomiting his guts out, his already debilitated condition worsened eightfold by Finn’s curse.

“Don’t even think about it.” Sakura menacingly warned. “You know as well as I do that that would only count as a threat to the Masquerade. I will _not_ hesitate to end you if it came to that, and even if you could bring me down, the other magi _will_ hunt you down.”

By now Shinji had finished vomiting, but was now instead lying in a pool of his own fluids, twitching and gurgling amidst a convulsion. Sakura didn’t waste any more words, instead turning to leave, Elisa gesturing for the PMCs to follow, and leaving Shinji alone in his misery.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“You’ll have to keep an eye on that boy.” Elisa warned as they drove away back towards the high-end districts. “If he doesn’t leave by the end of a week, that spell of yours _will_ melt him down. Only, if he gets melted down in public…”

“…it’ll be a problem, I know.” Sakura said with a nod. “I’ll have a familiar shadow him. If the spell ever goes active for any reason, the familiar should be able to contain the situation. That, and give us a warning if that damn vampire spawn tries to break the Masquerade.”

“And protect it at the same time, right?” Elisa asked with a smile.

Sakura nodded, and smiled back. “Precisely.” she said before sinking into her seat. “Though, I’ll be able to keep an eye on him myself while at school.”

“So you’re really going to attend a Japanese school while you’re here?” Elisa asked. “Not that I have anything against it, and I understand your reasons, but it’s not like you really need it.”

Sakura shrugged. “Like I said before,” she began. “Marjatta’s advice is a good one. This job would be less tedious if I find something worth cherishing in this city. Friends…good memories…”

The young woman trailed off, but Elisa nodded in agreement. “Lady Marjatta always gives good advice.” She said.

“I know, right?” Sakura said with a laugh. “I guess it’s probably because of how…sheltered, her upbringing was, compared to my own or our other cousins, or even Luvia’s own upbringing. Together with Marjatta being such a romantic…”

Sakura paused and sighed, looking out the window at the passing kaleidoscope that was the Fuyuki nightlife. “…she always sees the better side of the world, of people and happenings,” she said softly. “And with such clarity too. More than that, she’s more than happy to share those insights with others, and to help them see just a bit of what she sees.”

“You really love your cousin, huh?” Elisa asked.

Sakura gave another laugh. “I don’t think it’s possible to _not_ love Marjatta.” She said. “She’s such a dear…though, if anyone ever hurts her in any way…”

Elisa nodded, her own expression stern but understanding. She didn’t say anything, because there was no need for words, not between them.

The rest of the trip back to the hotel was spent in silence, Sakura staying at the five-star New World Hotel and Casino until the refurbishment of the local Edelfelt mansion was complete. Well, one of them at any rate, Edelfelt having _two_ mansions in the city, and Sakura only needed one.

“Would you like to spend some time in the casino or bar, my lady?” Elisa asked as they crossed the foyer. “Or perhaps a late snack?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Sakura said with a shake of her head. “I’m tempted, of course, but tomorrow’s a school day. It’s best to go to sleep early to wake early.”

“That much is true.” Elisa agreed. “Though, if I may say so, it’s already quite late as it is.”

Sakura laughed. “Yes, I know.” She said. “But it can’t be helped, considering this evening’s important business. And all the more reason to tuck in already, isn’t it so?”

“Yes, it’s as you say, my lady.” Elisa said.

Sakura nodded, even as they arrived at the elevators, and waited for one to take them to their floor.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Good morning,” the newly-arrived foreign student greeted her class come the following day, and bowing low Japanese-style. It was…different, very much so from the elegant curtsies or the sharp, cavalry-style salutes she was accustomed to, but it was a novel experience. “I am Sakura Edelfelt-Tohsaka. It’s nice to meet you all, and I look forward to working with you all.”

The class stared in fascination, more than one boy mentally thinking that the new student was essentially a warmer and friendlier Rin-lookalike, but with bigger breasts. To be sure, she didn’t wear her hair in pigtails, but her bigger breasts made up for that, and those ringlets her hair was styled in were a refreshing change from the norm.

And then realization of what her name was sank in.

“Wait,” Ayako Mitsuzuri began. “Edelfelt- _Tohsaka_? Any relation to Rin _Tohsaka_? Um…no offense…”

“None taken.” The new girl – Sakura – cheerfully said with a nod. “And yes, there’s a relation. She’s my sister, you see.”

“YOUR SISTER?” the class shouted as one.

“Yes.” Sakura said with a nod, looking rather lost. “I’m surprised she never talked about me, though I’ll admit we could have been closer.”

“But…” a boy on the front row began. “…your name…”

Sakura blinked, then turned to the chalkboard where her name was listed down in a mix of kanji and katakana. “Oh yes…” she said with a smile. “Well, it’s complicated, but our paternal grandmother came from a really old family in Finland, so when I was born they insisted I grow up over there, and add their name to my own. Like I said, it’s…complicated, but we’re still family for all that.”

Sakura shrugged and gave a beaming smile, one that immediately endeared her to more than a few of her classmates. Unsurprisingly, most of those were boys.

Teenage boys and their hormones…what can you do?

What was surprising, though, was that quite a few girls were also included in that group. An interesting development, no doubt, one that might have Sakura scratching her head should she ever find out.

That, or she’d be left speechless, at a loss for words at such a turn of events.

The teacher for the class gave a cough. “Anyway,” she began. “I’m glad to see you’re all getting along so well from the start. Sakura-kun, you can sit over there, next to Takashima.”

“Yes, teacher.”

The teacher nodded, and looked on as Sakura made her way to her seat, and sat down. Then turning back to the rest of the class, took a deep breath.

“Right, then,” she said. “Let’s begin with today’s lesson. Morikawa-kun…”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Alright, start talking.” Ayako said, cornering Sakura during morning break, and practically pressing her against the wall. “What happened to Rin, and where is she? And none of that happy family bullshit and cheerful and friendly foreign country girl stuff you went with earlier during classroom introductions.”

“What?” Sakura asked in confusion.

Ayako rolled her eyes. “Please,” she said. “I’ve known Rin for _years_ now, and you look like her enough that I can tell when you’re bullshitting. It doesn’t work when it comes from Rin, and it sure as hell isn’t going to work coming from you.”

Sakura blinked, and then narrowing her eyes, dropped the façade. “An answer for an answer, then.” She said. “Rin’s in London right now, dealing with family business.”

“What kind of business?” Ayako asked.

“Answer my question, and I’ll answer your second one.” Sakura replied.

“…fine.” Ayako conceded after a moment. “Ask away.”

“Who are you to her?” Sakura asked.

“I was her best friend.” Ayako replied.

“Hmm…it seems like there’s more to it than that…”

“…and that is absolutely none of your business.” Ayako interrupted, and causing Sakura to raise an eyebrow. Ayako was unfazed, and the two young women stared each other down in the eyes. After several moments, though, Sakura smiled, clearly impressed, and when she answered it was with newfound respect.

“I wasn’t lying when I said our paternal grandmother was from an old family in Finland.” Sakura said. “The problem is that our grandparents got married without the permission of the bride’s family. You know as well as I do how problematic that can be.”

Ayako winced. “Yeah, I suppose I do.” She grudgingly said. “So when will she back?”

“We don’t know yet.” Sakura honestly answered. “Our cousin, Luvia, is helping Rin out over there, but it’s gotten really complicated. So much so, that the family sent me here to make sure things stay in order for when Rin comes back home.”

“Will she really come back?” Ayako asked with genuine concern.

“…I don’t know.” Sakura admitted after a long moment.

Ayako tutted, stepping away and a few steps further along the wall, and then punched it hard. “Damn it, Rin.” She muttered. “What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?”

Sakura stared at the other woman, and then slightly lowered her face. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry it’s come to this.” She said. “I’d really prefer it doesn’t end in a way where everyone’s left feeling horrible about how things turned out.”

Ayako glanced sharply at Sakura, who met her gaze evenly. “You’re not being completely honest with me.” Ayako accused, and then taking a deep breath, sighed. “But at the same time, you’re not bullshitting me either. Fine…I can accept that…complicated family business especially since big time foreigners with old family are involved…”

Sakura nodded in silence. “I’ll be seeing you around, then.” Ayako said with another sigh, before storming away.

“If you’re interested,” Sakura said before the other woman could leave earshot. “I’m able to send letters to Rin through our cousin, and pass any reply back to you.”

Ayako turned back to Sakura. “Letters, really?” she asked.

Sakura shrugged. “We’re an old-fashioned family.” She said. It wasn’t completely true, Edelfelt made good use of modern communication methods like satellite among others, but the Clock Tower…

…outside of the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories, such things were rare, given the arch-conservative bent of the place.

“I’ll think about it.” Ayako said with a nod, and then continued walking away. Sakura stared after her until she was out of sight, and then sighing to herself, ran a hand through her hair.

_Well, that was unexpected._

_Still…it wasn’t a bad start, all things considered._

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

Sakura’s off to a mixed start, isn’t she? As Second Owner, she’s certainly got her priorities on straight, i.e. get rid of the Fuyuki Grail and boot Matou (or what’s left of them) off her land, but playing pretend as a student? Well, Ayako doesn’t trust her, even if the boys – stupid teenagers – are quite interested.


	6. Chapter 5: Il Mondo (Part V)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 5: Il Mondo (Part V)**

The foundry’s heart glowed an angry red, barely visible through its vents. Above, a great basin of blackened metal seethed with heat from the foundry, molten silver bubbling fitfully as the heat kept it liquid. All around the foundry was a great mandala outlined with powdered gemstones, jade, quartz, onyx, and malachite faintly glowing with unreal light. And at each of the mandala’s twelve points stood a bronze tripod, each supporting a bronze brazier filled with glowing coals.

Blood hissed as it boiled and turned into vapor, dripping down in streams from Sakura’s wrist, the veins there slit open with a ritual dagger. She let it dribble down onto the coals, and when a full minute had passed, carried on, walking at an even pace while using her other hand to catch the blood spilling from her veins. Behind her, an attendant followed, wearing a simple white dress like her mistress, but also wearing a cloak and a hood on top of that, the hood worn low to mask and shadow her face.

The attendant tilted a bronze plate, and allowed incense to fall onto the coals Sakura had just spilled her blood on. Aromatic smoke rose up as the incense burned against the coals, and then the attendant was moving on, walking at an even pace like Sakura, following in her wake.

Sakura let the blood caught by her hand fall on the glowing coals, while also allowing her veins to continue pouring her life into the ritual. A minute passed, and then she moved on, the attendant following and burning incense in Sakura’s wake, so as to seal each and every motion of the ritual at this moment.

One by one, blood was offered at each and every brazier, and incense burned, before Sakura and her attendant left in silence. Then another attendant struck a great gong made from iron, the candles in the room going out in an instant, and leaving the coals, the powdered gemstones, and the foundry as the only sources of light in the ritual chamber.

Elsewhere, Sakura was sealing her bleeding wrist, after which she swallowed an agate to speed up her recovery. Even then, the amount of lost blood and expended prana had left her feeling faint and lethargic, made worse as she expended more prana to actualize her healing mysteries, magic circuits flickering over her body.

“Here,” Elisa said, offering a small plate with a couple of pills, along with a bottle of common Gatorade. “These should help.”

Sakura took the Gatorade first, and took a long drink. “…thanks.” She said, and Elisa gave a small smile.

“No problem.” She said. “Now, take the iron as well.”

Sakura blinked, and then inclining her head, grabbed the pills and swallowed them as well. “I’d say not to push yourself,” Elisa continued with a worried but understanding air. “But I know there’s no point. You have to do this, after all. Still, I can’t help but worry, especially since you have to do this for every night of the rest of the month.”

“It’s the thought that counts.” Sakura said before taking another drink. “Though, thankfully I only have to do this for this month. The next set of rituals only need to be done during the nights of the New and Full Moons.”

Elisa nodded, and then smiled encouragingly. “Hang in there, Sakura.” She said.

“I will.” Sakura said, and nodded back.

“Right…you should head to bed once you finish that bottle.” Elisa said. “You have school tomorrow, and you’ll have to repeat the ritual in the evening too. You need your rest, not just for your health, but also to recover lost blood and prana.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Sakura said while taking another drink. “That said, I’d best pace myself finishing this bottle, or I might end up vomiting from bloating my stomach with Gatorade. It’s not like I had dinner, after all.”

Elisa set her jaw at Sakura’s words, following the latter as they headed back through the mansion. As part of the ritual, Sakura had to avoid eating or drinking anything but water after sunset until the evening ritual was completed, and her weakness after the ritual meant it was probably best for her to get as much rest as she could in the aftermath.

True, she’d then have a heavy breakfast to make up for it, but still…

…Sakura going to bed hungry…

…even if needs must, it left a bad taste in Elisa’s mouth.

_Making Sakura go this far…damn you to hell and back, you Matou bastards._

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Sun shone down through a blue sky lightly-touched with fleeting wisps of cloud, spreading down light and warmth wherever it reached. So much so that even in spring it could get hot at noon, for which a cool, light breeze was something to be thankful for.

Sakura certainly was, as she lightly napped after eating her lunch, lying on her back on a bench on Homurahara Academy’s rooftop level. She was sleeping more than usual over the past few days, as repeated, nightly rituals sapped at her strength both physical and magical.

Despite herself, Sakura was hoping nothing serious (by supernatural standards) erupted in the city over the next month, otherwise she probably wouldn’t be able to handle it. She might have to bunker down in her mansion, and send her commandos to deal with it in her place. A solution, yes, but a risky one, as while overwhelming firepower _could_ overpower magi, with proper countermeasures the requirement for firepower to be considered overwhelming by magi standards would quickly become impractical.

Another reason to subject Matou to _damnatio memoriae_ , for driving her to gamble to this extent just to clean up their mess.

Well, it was admittedly wishful thinking, but a girl could dream.

Sakura scrunched up her eyes as a shadow fell on her, before she opened them wide at the sense of magic circuits right next to her. They were passive, so whoever this was didn’t mean to strike, but even then their signature was faint, pointing to a low quality.

Which was rather unusual, as Sakura could sense that while quality was low, quantity was high, if not enough to really make up for the latter.

“Hey, are you alright?” Shirou Emiya asked with a worried tone and look on his face.

“I’ll be just fine, Magus Emiya.” Sakura replied, looking up at his face from where she was lying down. “You know what a careful girl I am.”

“I…wouldn’t know about that.” Shirou said with a cough, and then he was standing back, as Sakura forced herself up to a sitting position.

“So,” Sakura began. “How can I help you today, Magus Emiya?”

“Actually,” Shirou replied. “I was wondering about the opposite. That is, is there any way I can help you out, Edelfelt?”

“And what makes you think I need help?” Sakura challenged, and Shirou gave her an even look.

“You’re worn out.” He pointed out. “And have been for the past few days now. I’m also getting the feeling that it’s not going to stop for a long while yet.”

“How very observant of you.” Sakura dryly remarked.

“Not really,” Shirou disagreed. “It’s just that I’ve been in the same – or similar – spot before, so I know the feeling. Plus, I saw Rin wearing out just like you are right now towards the end of the war, and you two look close enough to each other that the signs are more or less the same.”

Sakura shrugged. “From what Policies’ dossier says about you,” she began. “I doubt there’s much you could do to help.”

“I might surprise you.” Shirou said.

“Not in this case.” Sakura disagreed with a shake of her head. “You don’t have enough prana to last more for than a couple of motions for my nightly rituals. And even that much is likely enough to cause you to blackout.”

“Rituals?” Shirou echoed in surprise. “You’re holding rituals every night?”

“You think it’s easy rooting out profane mysteries sunk into the soil by over a century of repetition?” Sakura countered. “Mysteries made even worse by the fact that Matou’s methodology revolves around ‘engraving’ their concepts into the physical domain?”

“…I see your point.” Shirou said with a sigh. “But…”

“But…?” Sakura prompted.

Shirou kicked at the ground in frustration. “I just wish there was something more I could do than just stand around and do nothing.” He said. “It…it bothers me, that’s all.”

“Being helpless?” Sakura asked.

“No,” Shirou disagreed with a shake of his head. “Being _useless._ ”

“…sometimes you just have to know when to fold your hands, stand back, and let others do their job.” Sakura said after a moment.

Shirou snorted, and then glanced her way with a small smile. “You’re really like her, you know that?” he asked.

“My sister?” Sakura asked back.

“Yes.” Shirou said, before looking away into the distance. “She didn’t say what you just said, but the message was the same: just shut up and let her fix the mess we found ourselves in. Her family’s mess…her mess…her responsibility…”

Sakura was silent for a long moment. “Look at it this way,” she eventually began. “Without your help, she couldn’t have succeeded in doing what she eventually did. Stopping Makiri Zolgen from completing Heaven’s Feel, and opening a path to the gates of the Root.”

“The gods know what might have happened if that…thing, managed to reach the Root.” Shirou muttered.

“I doubt he could have reached it.” Sakura said, getting up to join Shirou at the railing. “Any path leading to it would have been shadowed by Counter-Guardians. Only one-in-a-million magi could open a path, and out of those only one-in-a-million could succeed in actually reaching the path’s end.”

“And if Zouken was that one?” Shirou asked. “Besides, even if he couldn’t have reached the Root, I know enough to know that Counter-Guardians intervening could only end badly for everyone around here. Everyone…every last one of us…owes our lives to Rin…not that that matters to the people in charge at the Clock Tower!”

Sakura stared at Shirou, staying silent until he cooled off. “Sorry,” he eventually said. “I just…I know and understand the world’s not fair. I also understand that someone has to take responsibility. But even so…I don’t like it. Not the way Rin’s been and still being treated.”

“I wouldn’t say it doesn’t matter.” Sakura said, and looking back over the distance. “Rin’s heroic actions against Makiri Zolgen, that is. Yes, she failed to notice he was a Dead Apostle in the first place, or that the Fuyuki Grail was a World Gate, along with every other complication those two problems result in. But no matter how…unqualified, she was to be Second Owner, she still managed to prevent Makiri Zolgen from completing Heaven’s Feel. She might even have killed it too. Either way, there’s plenty of room for leniency, and that’s the angle our family is working along.”

“I know.” Shirou said with a sigh. “Though I wonder if Rin can really be called unqualified if she managed to pull that off.”

“Unfortunately,” Sakura began. “Given the circumstances leading up to recent events, the Clock Tower thinks that if Rin truly was qualified, she’d have kept things from getting as bad as they eventually became.”

“That…that’s just messed up.”

“I know.”

“If your family does bail Rin out, then what?”

“She’ll probably come home,” Sakura said while briefly closing her eyes. “And then…we’ll see.”

“We’ll see?” Shirou echoed.

Sakura shrugged. “That’s the Clock Tower for you.” She said. “Honestly, though? I wouldn’t mind if Rin came back, and having brushed up on her skills is reaccepted as Second Owner by the powers-that-be.”

“Really?” Shirou asked.

“Of course,” Sakura said with a nod. “No offense, but while Japan’s a pleasant enough place, it’s not really home. Finland…Lapland, is home to me, and always will be.”

“…guess I can’t blame you for that one.” Shirou said with an understanding nod. “That’s where you grew up, right?”

“Yes, it was.”

Shirou hummed in understanding, while looking out into the distance. Sakura wandered back to the bench, and before either of them knew it, was lying down on it again.

“You don’t have to push yourself so much, you know?” Shirou pointed out.

“I have to.” Sakura said. “I’m the Second Owner now, and I will fulfil my responsibilities.”

“Out of personal pride?”

“I’m not ashamed to admit that much.”

Shirou gave a small smile at that. “But,” he began. “Zouken is dead, isn’t he? I think you can take it a bit easier…”

“You never know when it comes to vampires.” Sakura interrupted, and looking in Shirou’s direction. “Especially old ones, as like all mysteries, vampires only become stronger as they get older. And Makiri Zolgen was an especially old one, going back to the 15th Century, according to the records of the Clock Tower. It was around – though it probably still was Human at the time – when my ancestors were only starting to figure out the crudest of what we now consider our Art.”

“So Zouken might still be alive.” Shirou said. It wasn’t a question.

“It might be, yes.” Sakura said, turning away to look at the sky. “If so, I need to take measures to keep it from coming back here, like digging out the roots it’s managed to put down and then burn them to ash.”

“Is that also why Shinji disappeared?” Shirou quietly asked.

A ghost of a smile crossed Sakura’s face. “I didn’t kill him.” She said. “I just told him to leave, and to never come back.”

“Would you have killed him if he had stayed?”

“Yes.”

“He couldn’t use magic…”

“Irrelevant,” Sakura interrupted. “Not when he’s a direct descendant of Makiri Zolgen from back when it was still Human. There’s just too much of a risk that the monster that Makiri Zolgen had become could use Shinji Matou’s blood as a vector for some kind of high-level mystery or another.”

“So having Shinji fend for himself somewhere else is your idea of mercy?” Shirou asked.

“Yes.”

Shirou looked away, and then taking a deep breath began to pace. “You disapprove?” Sakura asked.

“I’m a magus too.” Shirou said.

“Then you understand.” Sakura said, and again, it wasn’t a question.

“I do.” Shirou admitted. “But I don’t like it.”

Sakura smiled. “You don’t have to.” She said.

“Good.”

Sakura chuckled. “My turn to ask,” she began. “Why do you keep hanging out around me?”

“…I don’t really know, to be honest.” Shirou admitted after a long moment. “I guess…you remind me of Rin, I guess.”

Sakura laughed. “Do we really look that alike?” she asked. “Do we even act, talk, or just sound the same?”

“It’s not that!” Shirou quickly backpedaled. “It’s just…I don’t know. I guess…you’re close enough to Rin that…well, I can tell you’re really doing the best you can. That you want to help people…everyone, even, around you. And so…yeah, I want to help. No matter how little I can do.”

“Hmm…” Sakura hummed in thought. “I’m not sure whether I’m supposed to be flattered or not, but oh well, thanks, I guess.”

Shirou nodded in understanding, even as Sakura tilted her head, still lying down where she was. “Your friends don’t seem to like me very much, though.” She said. “With that in mind, you might want to keep your distance, otherwise they might give you grief over me.”

“Issei and Mitsuzuri, right?” Shirou asked.

“…hmm, you’re closer to the former compared to the latter?” Sakura asked back.

“Eh…long story…” Shirou said with a shrug, and leaning back against the railing. “…and I can’t really blame them for not liking you. You…well, let me put it this way. They were close to Rin, very close, in fact, when it came to Ayako and Rin…and then one day she just disappears, and after a short while, you turn up, the supposed sister no one’s ever heard about before. How does that come off?”

“Suspicious?” Sakura ventured. “A convenient replacement of sorts?”

“Pretty much.” Shirou said. “And unlike me, they don’t know what they need to know to really understand the way things are.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.” Sakura said with a nod. “I guess I can’t blame them for that, then. Still…Mitsuzuri said she was Rin’s best friend, but implied they had something deeper between them. And you seemed to imply something along that line as well…could they have been… _involved_ , with each other?”

Shirou pointedly looked away. “No comment.” He said.

“Oh-ho-ho-ho…” Sakura laughed while getting up with a grin. “Please, tell me more. This is very… _interesting_.”

“No!” Shirou flatly refused. “I’m not going to spread around any gossip I might have heard about Mitsuzuri and Rin’s relationship.”

“Oh come on.” Sakura pressed. “It’s just a bit of what’s on the grapevine, besides you’ve already implied so much, and you clearly know more. Tell me, please.”

“NO!” Shirou held his ground.

“I can pay you.” Sakura offered. “How does…um wait, no…five hundred dollars…ah yes, how does fifty thousand yen sound?”

Shirou’s eyes were so wide they looked like they might pop out of his head. “Are you seriously trying to bribe me?” he incredulously asked.

Sakura made a tutting sound. “Nothing so crass,” she said. “I simply want to…purchase, sensitive information. Information trading is quite the lucrative business, you know, and quite respectable too, even among us magi.”

“NO!” Shirou refused, and practically fled the rooftop.

Alone by herself, Sakura tutted and rested back on her hands. “ _So,_ ” she thought. “ _My sister might have had a relationship with another woman her age. Hmm…well, I don’t really have anything against people who swing that way, and considering how pathetic her fiancé was, I suppose I can’t fault Rin for looking for comfort in a fellow woman’s arms. Though, that makes me wonder: who wore the pants in their relationship?_ ”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“You went to see that girl again earlier, didn’t you?” Issei Ryuudo asked.

“You mean Edelfelt? Shirou asked.

“Hmm…yes, her.” Issei said with a nod. “I find myself wondering why, though.”

“…let’s just say that considering how you and Mitsuzuri are so suspicious about her,” Shirou answered after a moment. “Someone has to get her side of the story, see things from her point of view, or something like that. It’s only fair, after all. Judging someone from first impressions alone just isn’t right.”

“Hmm…perhaps…” Issei conceded before raising an eyebrow, a hand held against his waist. “Though surely you don’t think our concerns are baseless, do you?”

Shirou looked cross. “That’s a trick question, and you know it.” He said. “That said, no, I don’t think your concerns are baseless. It _is_ suspicious, that Rin just ups and disappears on an overseas trip out of the blue, and before long a sister of hers that we’ve never heard of before suddenly arrives. Not only that, she even supplies some details of what’s keeping Rin away.”

“But…?” Issei prompted.

“Innocent proven until guilty, Issei.” Shirou said with a sigh. “Suspicion isn’t enough, and you know it.”

“Hmm…true…” Issei admitted. “Though, I have been looking into her background, regardless.”

“…seriously?” Shirou deadpanned a moment later.

Issei’s only answer was to smile while pushing up his glasses against his nose. “The truth is out there, Emiya.” He said. “You only ever need to look.”

“Uh…right…” Shirou wondered, and internally worrying for Issei in case he turned too many rocks and found himself in more trouble than he could handle. “…so, what did you find?”

“Everything seems to check out.” Issei said with a slight air of disappointment. “Her passport is legit, issued by the Lapland Police Department. She’s travelled a lot over the past few years, though, all over Europe, the Americas, even the Middle East and the South Pacific. Her academic credentials also check out, officially certified by the Finnish educational authorities.”

“I…see…” Shirou said while scratching his head. “…how on Earth did you even manage to get all that?”

“I have my ways.” Issei said with a smile, arms crossed over his chest.

“Okay…and what else did you find?” Shirou asked.

“Her family also checks out,” Issei replied. “House Edelfelt…big time landowners from Lapland, but with investments all over the world. They were supposed to be nobility too, back when Finland was part of the Russian Empire, but if they were, they didn’t hold a title. Oh, and yes, I’ve confirmed that an Edelfelt married into the Tohsaka family shortly after World War Two came to an end. Fiona Edelfelt, yes, that was her name.”

“So Edelfelt was telling the truth about that.” Shirou said.

“So it would seem.” Issei agreed with a nod. “I’m still looking into their background, but they really do seem to be an old family, though I’m not sure yet how old. And which is why I’m still looking…”

“…and to find any dirt that you can use to prove Edelfelt is dirty, and had something to do with Rin’s disappearance.” Shirou said with a sigh.

Issei scoffed at that, and adjusting his glasses, made to leave. “Well,” he said with a slightly-offended air. “If that’s how you feel about this, I’ll just go then. Take care, Emiya.”

“Issei…” Shirou said, and then continued despite Issei not stopping. “…if you insist on poking around corners and tipping stones over, why don’t you go look into Rin’s itinerary on the day she left.”

“I’ll take that under advisement.” Issei said, and then he was gone.

Alone, Shirou sighed to himself.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura fell into her bed with a groan, worn out by another ritual that needed bleeding herself out to give silver the necessary properties for what they need it to do. Well, technically it was the same ritual as before, but that wasn’t the point.

“I hate those Matou bastards.” She groaned.

“Is there really no alternative?” Elisa asked as she arrived with a tray, carrying water and glasses on it in case Sakura ever became thirsty during the night.

“Not without one hundred per cent certainty that Makiri Zolgen is dead once and for all.” Sakura said, rolling over to lie on her back, her ample bosom bouncing around under her silken nightie without a bra to keep them in place. “Anything less thorough that what we’re doing is practically asking for trouble if it _isn’t_ dead. I refuse to run that risk. It’s irresponsible. Dereliction of duty, even: I might only be one-quarter Edelfelt, but by God, I’m not shaming that part of me by giving nothing less than my all.”

“Even if you keep complaining, you’ll still do it, huh?” Elisa asked with a smile, and sitting down next to Sakura on the bed.

“I’m only Human, after all.” Sakura said, crawling over to Elisa and resting her head on the older woman’s lap. Elisa hummed gently while running a hand through Sakura’s hair.

“…looking on the bright side, though,” Sakura murmured while resting against Elisa. “Once this ritual is done, and cleansing – and _containment_ – of Matou’s lair is complete, the next set of rituals won’t nearly be as strenuous as this one is. Thank God for small mercies, I guess.”

“Nothing wrong with being grateful.” Elisa softly said.

“Hmm…true…” Sakura murmured.

“That still leaves the Fuyuki Grail unaccounted for.” Elisa pointed out.

“Hmm…can’t do anything about that until the Association makes a concrete decision one way or the other.” Sakura murmured, eyelids slowly coming down as sleep dragged her under with no real resistance from her.

“True…well, just do your best, and soldier on, Sakura.” Elisa said encouragingly. “And when the job’s done, you can pat yourself on the back, for doing it right all the way.”

“Hmm…that sounds…nice…”

Elisa smiled, and carefully easing herself off the bed, tucked Sakura against her pillows and under the sheets. Then she poured Sakura a glass of water, though she left it sitting on the tray, covered in case any insects might come and try to get at the water later in the night.

“Sleep well, Sakura.” Elisa said, while closing the curtains before turning to leave.

“…good night…mom…” Sakura murmured in response, almost completely lost to sleep by now.

Elisa nodded, and turning off the lights, left the room, closing the door behind her.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho, our boy Shirou is here!


	7. Chapter 6: Il Mondo (Part VI)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 6: Il Mondo (Part VI)**

The rituals were complete.

Now that the silver had the metaphysical properties it needed to have, it was time to shape it to a usable form. And so molten silver flowed down brick-lined channels, bubbling with toxic fumes as it filled molds under the watchful eyes of Edelfelt attendants. Working efficiently to keep the molten metal from overflowing and wasting its precious volume paid for in blood, they opened and closed valves to control the flow of molten metal, directing it away from filled molds to empty ones.

Other attendants carefully took the filled molds away, and placed them on separate racks to cool. Others more took the molds where the silver had cooled to solidity, but still retained enough heat to be ever so malleable. It was they who stamped the silver with their mistress’ mandala, before dumping the finished metal into vats of water.

Steam hissed and water bubbled as silver cooled in their depths, and then the silver was fished out, and tossed into receptacles with the clinking of metal against metal. The noise was all but drowned out by the rest of cacophony filling the floor, the loudest noise by far the dull roaring of the fans that pumped out the fume-tainted air, and pumped in fresh and breathable air in turn.

Even then, everyone on the floor wore protective masks, tubes running down to portable air filters carried at the waist. Nor was poisonous air the only danger to be wary of, in fact, it was the least danger faced here, working as everyone was with molten metal. And so everyone wore leather gloves and aprons over clothes made from toughened fabric, though it would only protect them from small splashes or spills, and never from large ones.

Even Sakura was no exception, as she conducted an inspection in the morning. The young woman briefly twisted her face at the noise filling the floor, ranging from the roaring of the fans, to the groaning and squeaking of heavy machinery, the hissing of vapor and boiling water, the thumping of stamps, and the clinking of metal amongst others.

Making a single round of the floor, she finished at the receptacles which carried the final product, Sakura reaching in to pull out a single silver wafer at random. It was a simple thing, really, one eight fine silver, six-inches long and two inches wide, with a thickness of only half an inch.

A twelve-pointed mandala was stamped in front, the same one used in the rituals that gave the silver the properties it now had.

Shadows flickered from around Sakura’s wrists, over her hands, and then around the wafer. She nodded, and then tossed the wafer back into the receptacle.

“ _It will do._ ” Sakura thought as she stared into the receptacle and all the silver wafers piled inside. “ _With this I can finally begin actually containing the nexus of Matou taint in this city._ ”

Sakura blinked and then looked around the floor. “ _And then,_ ” she thought while deciding to make another round inspecting the floor before heading to school. “ _Once that’s done, I can move on to disconnecting the ley-lines from the Fuyuki Grail._ ”

Nodding to herself, Sakura stepped away from the receptacle to finish her inspection.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Good morning, everyone!” Sakura greeted her classmates as she entered the classroom.

“Good morning, Sakura!” several of her classmates returned the greeting.

Sakura nodded at them with a smile as she went to her desk. By now, Ayako was alone in distrusting Sakura, and most of the class was now on first name terms with her. Though, it probably helped that despite her own Japanese heritage, she’d grown up in a Western culture. For all that she had no real trouble adjusting to Japanese norms here, deep down, she was still a proud Finn.

Enough so, that she didn’t really mind people addressing her by her first name, not when she spent so much time with them every day. It wasn’t really a surprise then that most of her classmates had started addressing her by her first name sooner than would be the case were she Japanese in upbringing as well.

“Hey there, Sakura!” one of her classmates greeted her while wandering over with several of his friends.

“Good morning to you too, Murakami.” Sakura said with a small smile. While she didn’t mind being called by her first name even by people who were only on working terms with her, she knew most of her classmates would be. They were fully Japanese, after all.

“…sorry about that…ahem, good morning, Sakura!” Eisaku Murakami started over with a cough. “Hey, sorry about this being on short notice, but do you mind doing a tarot reading for me?”

“No, I don’t mind.” Sakura said while putting away her things under her desk, while bringing out materials for first period. “Though, I’m going to need some background if you want me to do a reading.”

“Uh…yeah, alright.” Murakami said with another cough. “I’m…I’ve got a new girlfriend, you see. Koma Sakurai, from another school…so I’d like to know if it’s going to work out, you know?”

“Considering your reputation,” Sakura dryly began with a wry smile. “Don’t you mean you want to know if she’ll be worth your while?”

Snickers went up at that, and prompting Murakami to throw betrayed expressions all around. “Oh come on,” he protested. “Don’t tell me you believe in those rumors?”

“Hmm…and if I do?”

“Well, I…uh…”

Sakura smirked and shook her head…

…and then brought out her tarot deck.

“Alright!” Murakami said while pumping his fist into the air.

“One card,” Sakura said while shuffling the deck back and forth. “And let’s see what fate has in store for your venture here.”

Murakami nodded while rubbing his hands together, his friends clustering around him along with several other women from nearby, all looking on in intrigue as Sakura consulted the cards. Finishing shuffling the deck, Sakura set it down on her desk, and then palmed the card on top.

“Ace of Swords.” she said, displaying the card to the audience.

“So…is that a good thing?” Murakami asked.

“Hmm…that depends.” Sakura said, and placing the card on her desk next to the deck.

“Depends on what?” Murakami pressed.

“On one hand,” Sakura said. “The Ace of Swords foretells triumph, excessive quantity in all things, conquest, and the triumph of force.”

“So she’s worth my while?” Murakami asked, and causing a storm of jeers to rise up from the women nearby.

“Really, Murakami?” one of them said.

“You suck!” another said.

“Oh come on!” Murakami protested, but then turned back to Sakura at a cough from the young woman.

“Sure, she could be worth your while.” Sakura said before narrowing her eyes. “But keep in mind that tarot cards are impersonal. Considering the nature of your inquiry, it fits that another one of the associations of the Ace of Swords is that it foretells great success in love…and in hate.”

“Hate?” Murakami echoed in confusion.

“Is this Sakurai pretty?” Sakura asked. “Desirable, even?”

“Well, yeah…” Murakami began to reply, only for Sakura to interrupt.

“And there you go.” She said. “It might be that she’s got a very…attached, maybe obsessive even, ex-boyfriend or jilted lover out there. The Ace of Swords could foretell success for you…or for someone wanting to get her back, or against anyone trying to start a relationship with her.”

Sakura paused and shrugged before giving a smile. “So be careful.” She said.

“Uh…thanks.” Murakami said.

Sakura shrugged again, the audience muttering among themselves at her ominous predictions. Then returning the Ace of Swords to the deck, she began shuffling the cards again. “Anyone else want to consult the cards?” she offered.

“Oh I do!” one of her female classmates yelled.

“Me too!” another one yelled as well.

“Hey, me first!” another one yelled in her turn.

Sakura just smiled, and letting her classmates sort themselves out, made three draws and predictions before the warning bell rang, and everyone hurried to get ready for first period.

“Yesterday there was this really expensive bag over at a store in town.” Sadako Yasuda began. “I just want to know if I should buy it or not.”

In response, Sakura drew the Queen of Swords. “You’re going to need to consider your other needs before actually buying that bag.” She explained. “At the same time, you should also consider why you actually want to buy the bag in the first place.”

“Why I want to buy the bag?” Sadako asked, and Sakura nodded.

“Was it because it looked new and fashionable?” she asked. “Do you want to impress someone? Or are you just doing it out of a whim?”

All good questions to ask, and which Sadako walked away thoughtful of as she really began to consider why and if she really needed to buy the bag at all.

“I found this opening for a new part-time job.” Rumi Wakatsuki began.

“What’s it about?” Sakura asked.

“Eh…can you just make a reading without knowing that?” Rumi asked back in return, looking away with an uncomfortable expression on her face that had Sakura raising an eyebrow. “Let’s just say it’s private.”

Sakura hummed in skeptical thought at that, all the while shuffling her deck. In the end though, she just gave a shrug and made a draw.

The result was the Seven of Wands. “You’ll probably get the job if you apply for it.” Sakura said. “More than that, you’d immediately succeed with it…but! After your initial success, you’ll find yourself struggling to hold on to your new job, to keep the luster of your initial success, and to continue succeeding in the future.”

Sakura paused, and then nodded. “If you really want the job,” she continued. “By all means, apply for it. Just be ready to face come what may, and to stand your ground, no matter what.”

Rumi hummed to herself while holding one arm over her chest, the other holding up a hand to stroke her chin in thought. Meanwhile, another one of Sakura’s female classmates was asking her question.

“Is my boyfriend cheating on me?” Mari Fukumoto asked.

“What?” Sakura asked, deadpan.

“Just answer the question!” Mari demanded. “He’s been avoiding me lately, fails to reply to my texts, talks his way around my questions whenever I ask where he’s been and what’s he been doing, he even turned me down for a date last weekend!”

“…Fukumoto, I think you need to talk to your boyfriend about this.” Sakura replied after a moment.

“Not yet!” Mari countered. “Not until I know what’s coming.”

Sakura made an unhappy sound, but made a reading regardless: The Ace of Wands.

“I can’t really tell you what’s coming.” Sakura finally said. “All that the cards tell me about your fate in this is that you should trust your instincts. It’s also the best time to take action, and that the longer you wait, the worse it might get. In fact, asking this question to your boyfriend might be the first step to something bigger, something more wonderful, in your future. It could be a new beginning, even.”

Mari didn’t look too satisfied with the reading, but then the warning bell sounded, and everyone was scurrying off. Sakura nodded back as Rumi gave her a grateful nod, and then Sakura was putting her cards away.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Sakura,” Shirou began as he walked in on Sakura during lunch break. “Can I talk to you?”

“You do that most days, Shirou.” Sakura said. “That said, this sounds serious. Do you want me to address you as a friend or as a magus?”

“Why not both?” Shirou challenged.

“I’m the Second Owner.” Sakura said with a shrug. “No one says magi can’t have friends among themselves, but from the way you’re acting, this is serious stuff. So I’ll be professional about it.”

“…eh, I don’t think this really needs you to be professional.” Shirou replied after a moment.

“Alright, then.” Sakura said before offering Shirou her sandwich of black bread, smoked sausages, cheese, vegetables, and homemade sauce. “Want a bite?”

“No, thanks.” Shirou said with raised hands. “Anyway…on to what I wanted to talk to you about, did you say or do something to make Issei very angry with you lately?”

Sakura shrugged again. “Ryuudo dislikes me by sheer principle.” She said. “I could even say my mere existence offends him on some level.”

“Eh…I don’t really think that’s the case.” Shirou said with a cough. “In all seriousness, though, did something happen between the two of you lately? He’s been…very…hostile, to the mere mention of your name for the past few days.”

“Hmm…oh yeah, there was that.”

“…what happened?”

Sakura shrugged again. “He confronted me over doing tarot readings for anyone who asked.” She said. “He said something about wasting everyone’s time with nonsense like fortune telling, and spreading around baseless superstition that’s only going to affect their futures badly. Or something like that.”

Shirou scratched his head as Sakura shrugged again (she did that a lot). “I get the feeling that’s not all there is to it.” He finally said.

Sakura made a face. “Then I’ll be frank with you.” She said. “Mister Ryuudo is a very pompous man. I’ll admit he’s intelligent and diligent in his own way, and has quite the fine grasp of bureaucracy and even rhetoric.”

“What?” Shirou deadpanned.

“He’ll make a fine politician one day.” Sakura concluded. “That, or an officious civil servant or pencil pusher of one kind or another.”

“I…what?” Shirou deadpanned again, and Sakura sighed.

“He made quite the self-righteous speech about superstition and whatnot…I basically tuned him out after the first five sentences.” Sakura said. “Then while he was droning on, I did a tarot reading for him, a three-card spread, in fact. My…exclamation, on finishing the reading interrupted him, though. He didn’t seem impressed by the fact.”

“I can imagine.” Shirou said, and rubbing his forehead in exasperation. “I also get the feeling he was even less impressed by what your cards told you about him.”

“Hmm…” Sakura hummed while thinking back to her reading for Issei Ryuudo a few days ago. Thankfully, all magi had eidetic memory, so it didn’t take her long. “Oh yes…his cards were the Four of Wands, the Queen of Wands reversed, and the Magician.”

“…what do those even mean?” Shirou prompted after a moment.

“Mister Ryuudo grew up with a happy family in a stable home and a harmonious environment.” Sakura elaborated. “At present, though, while his efforts are productive and his talents find suitable roles to find fulfillment in, he also faces obstacles towards achieving his goals. He also needs to stay rational, though, and not let his feeling get the better of him, otherwise even if he succeeds, he’ll find himself falling short of what he might achieve otherwise.”

“…well, isn’t that a very accurate description of his life’s past and present.” Shirou deadpanned (again).

“I suppose so.” Sakura said with another shrug, before giving a wry grin. “Though I imagine my sister’s absence and my presence count as the ‘obstacles’ described by the cards. And that his needing to be rational might as well as me telling Mister Ryuudo that he’s being…irrational, about our…relationship. I imagine that struck a nerve…a bad one.”

“That sounds about right.” Shirou said with a sigh. “Is that all?”

“Oh no, those are just the readings for the Four of Wands and the Queen of Wands reversed.” Sakura said. “There’s still the Magician, for Mister Ryuudo’s future.”

“…and?” Shirou prompted.

Sakura shrugged (again). “In the future,” she said. “Mister Ryuudo will put his all into his chosen path in life. He will succeed at everything he sets out to do, and achieve his full potential. At least, so long as he doesn’t hesitate or hold back, of course. If he does, then he’ll fall short.”

“…I’m…not sure, why he’d get offended by that.” Shirou said in confusion.

Sakura shrugged (again). “I don’t know, either.” She said. “He’s your friend, not mine. You know him better. Though if I would hazard a guess, he took it as flattery and was insulted.”

Shirou was silent for a long moment, and then he sighed. “I…see…” he finally said. “Well…thanks for being honest with me.”

“Not a problem.” Sakura said. “Would you like to join me for lunch?”

Shirou looked at the lunchbox and can of iced coffee he had with him, and then shrugged. “Well, why not?” he replied, and sat down next to Sakura as she gestured invitingly for him to do so.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Issei, we need to talk.” Shirou said while walking into Issei’s office soon after club activities period had begun.

“About what?” Issei prompted while gesturing for Shirou to sit down.

Shirou briefly hesitated, and the sighing, paused to pull out a mystic code that Rin had given him. It was _special_ , designed to take into account the…idiosyncrasies, of his ability to use magecraft. All he needed to do was set a setting, then put his prana into the mystic code with a single word, and it would do the rest.

Issei raised an eyebrow as the bounded field encompassed his office. Not that he could actually sense it, of course, at least beyond a certain sense of…wrongness, but he could see the mystic code Shirou had just used, and how its jewels glowed on activation.

“Something important then.” He said, setting aside the budget report he’d been reading up on.

“This has got to stop, Issei.” Shirou began without preamble.

Issei blinked in confusion. “What?” he asked.

“This…back and forth between you and Mitsuzuri against Sakura.” Shirou said. “Whether you like it or not, she’s the Second Owner. Making an enemy of her is _not_ going to end well.”

“Humph,” Issei snorted. “So you’re saying we should just do nothing while she prances around, usurping Rin’s place and authority?”

“What can we do?” Shirou asked back.

“You can take her down if it comes to it.” Issei replied. “Ayako’s told me about what you did during the contest. Even if she’s a better magus than you in every other way, in that one area you’re good at, you can take her down.”

“And then what?” Shirou challenged in exasperation. “I murder the Second Owner, the Association brands me a renegade and a heretic, and orders me hunted down. I wouldn’t be surprised if they placed a price on my head, in addition to the one the Edelfelt would for murdering one of their own. And she’s Rin’s sister, for gods’ sakes. Rin would never forgive us if we kill her for no good reason.”

Issei snorted again. “She’s only Rin’s sister by her own claim.” He sneered.

“Oh really?” Shirou deadpanned. “Weren’t you the one who found those birth certificates about a certain Sakura Tohsaka? The ones buried away in red tape for well over a decade now? And who disappeared for that same amount of time?”

“That assumes they’re the same woman.” Issei snapped back. “The only commonality between them is their black hair and blue eyes. Even that former is suspect: Edelfelt has partly-white hair, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“…true,” Shirou conceded after a moment. “But the rest of my point stands. Killing Sakura only brings us more trouble. And at least Sakura tries to get along with everyone. Shinji aside, she’s made no major changes. Her replacement could be far stricter and controlling, especially since Sakura’s…light touch, would have been proven as too lenient.”

“We can’t just do nothing!” Issei finally exploded as he slammed a fist against his desk. “Rin was my friend for years! She’s stayed over at my house more than once! She’s eaten with my family at our table! To have her…usurped, by someone as questionable as Edelfelt is intolerable!”

“…I’m not saying you should be friends with her.” Shirou said after a long moment staring Issei down. “I’m just saying you should at least tolerate her, more than you are doing now. Even if you stay enemies, at least keep it under wraps. A confrontation of any kind wouldn’t help us in any way. If I don’t go all out, none of us could win against her. And if I go all out, she’s likely to end up dead, and we both know that’s not a good thing.”

Issei glared at Shirou, who stood his ground and looked back at Issei straight in the eyes. Finally, after a full minute, Issei looked away first. “Fine,” he grudgingly said. “I’ll think about it.”

Shirou relented in turn with a sigh. “I guess that’s the best I’ll get for now.” He said. “Thanks for listening, Issei.”

“…you deserve that much at least.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Ready…”

Sakura crouched down at the starting line, feet pressed against the starting block, and hands against the ground.

“…set…”

Sakura raised her head, looking up ahead and down the track.

“…go!”

The word was accompanied by a gunshot, members of the track and field club bursting forward at high speed. At first keeping pace with the rest of the runners, Sakura quickly took the lead, and opening up the distance completed the hundred-meter dash in a matter of seconds.

“Not bad…not bad…” the club manager said while looking at the stopwatch she was holding. “…a hundred meters in twelve seconds? The new girl’s pretty good, isn’t she, Kaede?”

“Hmm…I guess so.” Kaede Makidera said with a nod and a small smile. “Though, I’d be more impressed if she could reach around eleven seconds. What’s my record again for the hundred-meter dash? 11.454 seconds, right?”

“Yeah, it is.” The manager said with a nod. “Then again, you’re something else, Kaede.”

Kaede just shrugged at that. “That I am.” She said.

“Modest too.” The manager said with a laugh.

“I don’t do modest.” Kaede said with a grin. “Just who do you think I am? I’m the Black Panther of Homura.”

The manager just laughed again, while in the distance Sakura caught her breath. It only took her a couple of seconds to do so, a hundred-meter dash nothing she hadn’t done before. She didn’t know about other families, but Edelfelt began physically-training their scions at six years of age. Nothing too demanding, just calisthenics and swimming among others, along with the basics of hand-to-hand.

Just something to lay a solid foundation down to build on later.

“Eleven seconds…you’re a pretty fast runner, Edelfelt.” Sato Murata, another member of the club said nearby.

“I guess I am.” Sakura said with a shrug. “Though, it’s nothing special really, from what I hear of the club’s star sprinter.”

“Oh, that’s for sure.” Sato agreed with a nod. “Makidera’s the best really. I wouldn’t be surprised if she goes to the professional leagues in the future.”

“Hmm…” Sakura hummed while looking in Kaede’s direction, still chatting, well, roughhousing now, with the club manager. “…well, very good if she does. If she’s got talent, then there’s no reason to let it go to waste.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura held up the mystic code she’d received from the College of Law along with the official paperwork of her appointment as Fuyuki’s Second Owner. Then she prodded it forward, seemingly into empty air.

Instead, a glowing mandala appeared in the air, just in front of the wrought iron gates of the Matou mansion. Had Sakura not possessed the mystic code and had been a step closer to the property, the bounded fields erected by the College of Law would have incinerated her on the spot.

Segments of the mystic code turned, opened, and closed like clockwork, the mandala revolving and swapping its segments around, like a pair of combination locks. Then the mandala disengaged, as did the mystic code, Sakura gaining control of the fields and the right to come and go as she pleased from the land in front of her.

The Matou mansion stood at the heart of the property, looking quite desolate and forlorn after so many months without anyone living in it. The College of Law had stormed and seized the property after the Fifth Holy Grail War, taking everything of value inside just like they’d seized the Matou patents in the Clock Tower, before sealing away the property and mansion behind powerful bounded fields.

Not even the default – Makiri Zolgen having left no will – heir to the Matou assets (what with the College of Law’s cover-up operations having Makiri Zolgen officially declared deceased in the mundane world, his body cremated, and his ashes scattered into the sea) Shinji Matou could enter the property, much less take possession of it. Instead, the property’s deed belonged to the College of Law under a front identity, but with the Second Owner – Sakura – holding executorial authority over it.

Not that she had any intention of selling the place.

This was the nexus of Matou’s taint in the city, and the heart of a Dead Apostle’s nascent territory. It was simply too dangerous to be left uncontained, at least for a hundred and one years. Preferably for a thousand and one years, if Sakura could help it, but she’d settle for the former number.

Containment would start this evening.

“You all have your assignments.” Sakura said, addressing her men once they were inside the property. “Just to recap, though, you all have your mystic codes?”

The men held up the silver and jade bracelets she’d given them so they’d have a degree of protection against any defensive mysteries they might encounter inside the mansion. There shouldn’t be any, not after the College of Law had swept the place clean, but still, best to be prudent, regardless.

Sakura nodded at the sight. “Alright then,” she said. “Stick to your assigned teams, watch each other’s backs, and work as quickly as possible. Proceed floor by floor, and absolutely do _not_ enter the underground level. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, ma’am!” the men said, coming to attention and saluting her.

Sakura saluted them back. “Then if there’s nothing more,” she said. “Dismissed!”

The men stood down and then moved past her, carrying crates of thermite and magnesium with them, the better to set the Matou mansion on fire with. Sakura followed them until they’d entered the mansion and were no longer in sight, and then turning away, went towards the pavilion that Elisa and a few others had set up.

“This might take a while, Lady Sakura.” Elisa said, speaking formally as she usually did when they weren’t alone. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Thank you,” Sakura said, sinking into a camp chair under the light of portable lamps. “That sounds just what I need.”

Elisa smiled, and poured Sakura coffee even as she helped herself to a sandwich.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

Well, now you know why Shinji had his own apartment elsewhere in the city from a previous chapter. The College of Law booted him out, and dispossessed him of the Matou mansion and property. Not that there was anything he could do about it, since as mentioned in that same past chapter, the only reason they even let him go was that he was so _useless_ that there was just no point in keeping him in custody.

And now Sakura plans on finishing what the College of Law started. With the mention of her men bringing thermite and magnesium into the mansion, I think you can all guess just what Sakura is planning.

Then again, it was also mentioned in the chapter, so meh.


	8. Chapter 7: Il Mondo (Part VII)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 7: Il Mondo (Part VII)**

“Fire in the hole!”

It had taken most of the night for the fires to finish consuming the Matou mansion, and even then Sakura’s men had to wear protective gear while scouring the burnt-out husk of the building. Drawing up a layout for the ruins, they then planted explosive charges to bring it all down, with Sakura – naturally – having the honor of pressing the trigger.

Just as she previously had had the honor of pressing the trigger to incinerate the Matou mansion.

The explosions visibly displaced the surrounding air, and sent plumes of dust and ash outward in all directions. The ruins fell in on themselves in a great crash, and sent hot rubble flying. As with the fires, though, the bounded fields kept anyone outside from noticing, while other bounded fields kept Sakura and her men safe in their work area.

Even then, they still wore protective gear, like visors for the eyes, ear protectors for the ears (duh), and plastic helmets for their heads. Bounded fields or not, safety standards had to be met to the letter. There were even large signs around the work area, reminding everyone there to prioritize workplace safety, written in five different languages: Finnish, Russian, German, French, and English.

Sakura handed Elisa the trigger, who in turn handed it to another subordinate. “Right,” Sakura said, stepping forward and turning around to face her men. “That’s it for the night, well done, everybody!”

There was a self-congratulatory chorus at that, though it was rather…indulgent.

After all, they hadn’t done much actually. Yes, they’d set thermite charges and magnesium fuses, but once the fires had started, all they’d done was bunker down in the work area and watch Matou burn. Even after the fires had died, they still just bunkered down while the ruins cooled.

Only then did they get their hands dirty once more.

Still, all that was Sakura’s orders, and they followed them well. So who was she to deny them recognition for fulfilling their duty?

“Clean up the work area first,” Sakura continued. “Then get some breakfast. After that, you all have the rest of the day off, though I want all personnel to report for duty here at 1800 hours this evening. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!” the men chorused, and Sakura nodded.

“If there’s nothing more,” she said with a gesture. “Dismissed.”

The men stood to attention and saluted, and then left after Sakura saluted back. “You sure you want to go to school today?” Elisa asked with evident concern. “You were awake the whole night.”

“I’ll be fine.” Sakura said with a nod. “There’s a spell I can use to keep myself on my feet for extended periods of time, though it’s the first I’ve had to use it. I might have to use my crest to…optimize, the spell’s performance.”

“Hmm…” Elisa hummed in concern. “There won’t be any side-effects from that?”

“Well, that depends.” Sakura admitted. “My tutor said the longest any Edelfelt has ever used that spell was about 328 days, which I doubt I’ll have to do.”

“That…doesn’t really answer my question.” Elisa said.

Sakura gave a wry smile. “Aake Edelfelt never actually ended the spell, you see.” She said. “He just…keeled over on the 328th day, dead at the age of 45 in 1864.”

“Sakura…”

“Yes, yes,” Sakura said with a sigh and hands raised in surrender. “It’s perfectly safe to use for short periods of time, though I might need to sleep for a whole day afterward.”

Sakura paused and sighed again, before giving Elisa a faint smile. “You’re like my mom, you know that.” She said fondly.

“…just looking out for you.” Elisa said with a fond smile of her own. “At least have breakfast, though, and a hot shower before going to school.”

“I’m not sure I have the time…”

“…then take a car.” Elisa interrupted. “I know you prefer to walk to avoid looking as though you’re flaunting your wealth, but here and now I must insist.”

Sakura frowned, but Elisa refused to give way, and Sakura eventually sighed in surrender. “Alright,” she said. “If I can’t get you to budge on this, I might as well. Honestly…at times like these, you really are like my mom…”

Elisa only smiled at that.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gasps of awed surprise went up from the other students as Sakura was dropped off by a sleek black BMW in front of Homurahara Academy. “Edelfelt,” one of the female students piped up. “Since when did you have a car?”

“You moron,” another female student cut in. “Edelfelt’s from an old foreign family. Of course she’s rich enough to afford a car.”

“But…she’s never used a car to get to school before.” The first student said.

“Well good morning to you too.” Sakura said with a wry smile as she approached, and paused in front of her schoolmates.

“Um…good morning, Edelfelt.” They hesitantly returned the greeting.

Sakura tilted her head in acknowledgement of the greeting. “I woke up late this morning.” She admitted with a sigh. “So I had to take a car to avoid getting late.”

“But,” one of her schoolmates began. “Why don’t you use it more regularly?”

Sakura hummed in thought. “I don’t really need to, for one thing.” She said. “At least, when it comes to coming to or going home from school. And for another thing, I thought it’d look, well, _bad_ if I showed off my family’s wealth every day. Humility and modesty are as much virtues in the West as they are here in Japan.”

That got a chorus of agreement from everyone. “Rich old families really are something else.” One student said to another as Sakura resumed heading for the school. “They don’t need to show off to make everyone know how rich and powerful they are.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Another student said. “They just are.”

As she headed to school, Sakura internally groaned as she overheard the conversations sparked by her…unusual, arrival in school today. “ _Great,_ ” she thought to herself. “ _Just great…I knew this would happen. Now I’m the center of attention, and will be until either everyone gets tired, or finds something else to gossip about._ ”

Fighting the urge to shake her head, Sakura entered the school even as the warning bell sounded five minutes before the start of first period.

With so little time left, Sakura didn’t bother making conversation or indulging in personal interaction while changing her shoes to indoor ones, before hurrying to class. Indeed, she only arrived just before the teacher did, and barely managed to get to her seat before the bells rang the start of first period.

“Everyone, rise.” The class representative began the usual routine as the first period teacher entered the room and took his place behind the teacher’s desk. “Bow. Be seated.”

“Class representative,” the teacher said as the students took their seats. “Take morning attendance.”

“Yes, teacher.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Did you really wake up late this morning?” Shirou curiously asked as they met up for lunch break.

“I fail to see how that’s any of your business, Magus Emiya.” Sakura replied.

“Um…sorry…I wasn’t trying to pry…”

Sakura smiled to let Shirou know she was joking. “No, I didn’t wake up late this morning.” She said. “I just didn’t go to sleep last night.”

“Wait, what?” Shirou asked in surprise. “Why?”

“I’ve been busy.” Sakura said before tearing another mouthful from her sandwich. “Being Second Owner is hard work.”

“Rin never seemed to get as busy as you.” Shirou blurted out before he realized what he just said. “Uh…no offense.”

Sakura smiled with amusement. “I don’t mind you comparing me to my sister,” she said. “At least in this case: it _is_ generally rude to compare people to each other, after all. That said, what you said just now would insult her more than it would me, implying as it does that my sister is either lazy or inadequate as a Second Owner. Or both, even.”

“That’s not what I…that is…I…um…”

Sakura laughed and patted Shirou on the back. “I know you didn’t mean anything bad with what you said.” She said reassuringly.

“…thanks.”

Sakura shrugged. “No problem.” She said. “In any case, I doubt Rin ever had to deal with anything I have to deal with right now. Capping Matou’s taint, and then dealing with the Fuyuki Grail…”

Sakura paused and shrugged again. “I’m sure if she were in my place,” she said. “She’d probably be working as hard as I am.”

“Yeah, she probably would be.” Shirou admitted. “Speaking of which, any news about her that you can share?”

“Hmm…I suppose I could.” Sakura said. “The Mages Association has acquitted Rin of three out of four charges.”

“That is good news!” Shirou said with a smile. “Wait, which charges?”

Sakura finished off another mouthful before responding. “The ones involving conspiring and actually trying to reach the Root without Association supervision.” She said. “Oh, and the charge relating to working with an unsanctioned Dead Apostle. Given Rin’s age at the time of our father’s death, along with other evidence and testimony provided, the tribunal has concluded that Rin was never aware of the true purpose of the Fuyuki Grail as a World Gate, or that Makiri Zolgen was even a vampire at all.”

“So…everything is her – _your_ – father’s fault?” Shirou ventured.

“Him and the rest of the Tohsaka ancestors.” Sakura said. “Right now, the Association wants to make the Tohsaka family sans my sister the scapegoats for the whole disaster that was the Fifth Heaven’s Feel Grand Ritual. Well, there’s also Makiri Zolgen, but it’s either dead or on the run or in hiding, so they can’t touch it. For the most part.”

“For the most part?” Shirou echoed.

“The Matou patents at the Clock Tower have been confiscated.” Sakura said after another mouthful. “And as you well know, the Matou property is under interdict, with yours truly having the responsibility of containing it for the foreseeable future.”

“What about Einzbern, though?” Shirou asked with a degree of concern. “Weren’t they also involved in making Fuyuki’s Holy Grail?”

“Yes, but they’re untouchable.” Sakura said with a nod. “They’ve withdrawn into their ancestral castle, and between their ancient age – over a thousand years – and accumulated mysteries some of which go back to and which they received from the Third Magician, the College of Law knows trying to storm Einzbern Castle will only end in a bloodbath. Einzbern’s practically gotten away with just a slap on the wrist: official censure, no more and no less.”

“That’s not fair!” Shirou protested.

“Life isn’t fair.” Sakura replied dryly before taking another bite from her sandwich. “Neither is the world, for that matter.”

Shirou looked torn, and then after a few moments, sighed and opened his lunchbox to start eating his lunch. They just ate in silence for several minutes, and then taking a drink from a can of fruit juice, Shirou sighed.

“So what now?” he asked.

“Like I said earlier,” Sakura said, having finished her sandwich and now just relaxing in the warm spring sunshine at noon. “The Association holds the Tohsaka ancestors responsible for all the charges Rin’s been acquitted for. And that’s what the current arguments are about.”

“…doesn’t Rin still have to deal with another charge?” Shirou asked after a moment. “And what does the Association plan to do? With the Tohsaka ancestors being held responsible, that is, seeing as they’re all dead.”

“In reverse order,” Sakura said, glancing in Shirou’s direction. “They want to seize all the Tohsaka patents, the crest, and the property in this city.”

“That’s not fair!” Shirou protested again, and then winced.

“Hmm…I think I’ve answered that already.” Sakura said dryly. “But yes, I – and the rest of the family – agree that is much too draconian even by the harsh precedents followed by the College of Law.”

“And what does your family want?” Shirou asked.

“The Tohsaka property should still stay with Rin.” Sakura said. “And the Association should just take either Rin’s crest or patents. We prefer they take the former, though. A crest can easily be replaced, seeing as Rin _is_ one of us. We’ll just give her a new one.”

“…is it really that easy?” Shirou skeptically asked. “I mean…aren’t crests, well, _crests_?”

“Normally, yes, but when it comes to our family…” Sakura replied, before trailing off with a smile. “Sorry, can’t tell you that. Family secrets and all.”

“Yeah, I get what you mean.” Shirou conceded.

Sakura nodded and looked up at the sky. “As for the charge of negligence and incompetence as Second Owner,” she said. “Luvia is arguing for leniency, on the basis that Rin did at least manage the contain the situation in the end. The early death of Tokiomi Tohsaka, to say nothing of Kirei Kotomine’s treachery, also lends weight to this argument.”

“And how’s that going?” Shirou asked.

“Slowly,” Sakura said with a sigh. “Bureaucracy…or to put it bluntly as the Americans would say, bullshit.”

“Uh…okay…”

Sakura shrugged. “My cousin – Luvia – once said to be thankful that I have the liberty of not having to deal with the responsibility and obligations of her rank and status.” She said. “She’s absolutely right.”

Shirou didn’t know what to say about that.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Nine of Cups,” Sakura said, making a tarot reading for one of her fellows in the track and field club. “There’ll be struggles to face and obstacles to overcome in your future, but at the end of it all, you can sit back with the satisfaction of not only having gained what you set out to gain, but also knowing that you did everything right, and that no one can possibly say you never truly earned what you have in the end.”

“It doesn’t say what struggles and obstacles I have to face, sempai?” the underclassman asked.

“No, it doesn’t.” Sakura said before giving a small smile. “Fate might let people catch glimpses of the future, almost like it’s trying to encourage them with the promise of what’s waiting for them at the end, or in the case of bad fortunes, to give them advance warning of the same.”

“But…?” the underclassman prompted.

“Life’s not easy.” Sakura said. “And fate won’t let people cheat it and the world of having to struggle and earn their way in life.”

“…well, I guess that’s what my fortune is about, isn’t it?” the underclassman said after a moment. “Work hard, and keep at it no matter how hopeless it looks, and in the end, I’ll have everything I deserve.”

“Yup.” Sakura said with a smile, even as she drew another card. Her smile widened. “Look: The Ten of Cups. Happiness, joy, contentment, and pride: they’re all in the future that the Nine of Cups promises you. All your dreams and wishes will come true.”

Sakura paused, and then laughed. “Or,” she said. “In the simplest interpretation of this card: Happily, ever after.”

The underclassman beamed. “Thanks, sempai!” she said.

Sakura nodded. “You’re welcome.” She said.

“Sempai, me next!” another underclassman said.

“No, me next!”

“No, me!”

“Alright, that’s enough of that.” The manager cut in, and walking closer. “Edelfelt, put your cards away and get on the track. You’re up for the hundred-meter dash, then the three hundred-meter dash, and then you’ll be second-to-the-last for the relay.”

“Okay…wait, what?”

The manager raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?” she asked.

“Not as such,” Sakura reassured the other woman, and walking closer. “I’m just wondering how I suddenly ended up in the second-to-the-last role for the relay.”

“Oh, that’s easy.” The manager said with a smile, and clapping Sakura on a shoulder. “You’ve got the best time after Kaede, that’s why.”

“I do?”

“Yup!” The manager said. “Now, get on the track.”

“Right…right away!”

The manager nodded, as Sakura jogged down to the track, and took her place on the starting line. “Give it your best, Edelfelt!” Kaede yelled a couple of runners away.

“Likewise, Makidera.” Sakura said, even as she crouched down, feet pressed against the starting blocks, and hands on the ground.

“Ready…” the student with the starting pistol said while raising the gun into the air. “…set…go!”

The gunshot sounded the start of the race, the runners dashing forward at high speed. At first keeping pace with each other, then the lead runners opened up the distance, Kaede first, then Sakura trailing barely a second after her, then the others behind them. Other club members and students looking on shouted encouragement, both at the Black Panther and the newest member of the club, and then they started yelling as the race came to an end with Kaede in first place, and Sakura right behind her.

Quickly catching her breath, Sakura straightened, and then approaching Kaede, offered a hand with a grin. Kaede matched her grin, and took the offered hand, shaking it with a firm grip.

“Not bad, Edelfelt.” She said.

“Good race, Makidera.” Sakura said in return.

“Good, good, good!” the manager said hurried over. “Kaede, you finished in 11.541 seconds, well within your usual. Sakura, you finished in 12.101 seconds, just over half a second behind Kaede. Well done, both of you!”

“Yeah, well, the better woman won here.” Sakura said with a nod at Kaede.

“I guess she did.” Kaede modestly said. “Anyway…the three hundred-meter dash is next. Keep it up, Edelfelt.”

“Likewise.”

The racers proceed to their places for the next race, Sakura again crouching down with her feet against the starting blocks, and hands against the ground. “Ready…” the shout went up, and Sakura determinedly looked down the race track ahead of her. “…set…go!”

The gunshot rang out again, and again the racers dashed forward. Kaede quickly pulled ahead, but surprisingly Sakura stayed in formation with the other runners, if at the very head of the pack, until the last hundred or so meters. Then she put out a burst of speed, opening up the distance with the other runners and catching up to Kaede, and crossing the finish line just behind her.

“Alright!” the manager yelled as she ran over to the finish line. “Great work, Kaede! 33.901 seconds! Same for you, Edelfelt, at 34.210 seconds! Not even a second between the two of you…we keep this up, and the prefectural tournament will be in the bag!”

“We’ll do our best.” Sakura said with a shrug.

“Speak for yourself, Edelfelt.” Kaede said with a confident smile. “I don’t plan to lose.”

“Hmm…good attitude.” Sakura conceded.

“Yes, yes,” the manager said with a cough. “Right…to your places then, the relay is next.”

Sakura and Kaede nodded before jogging off to their assigned places. The other runners did so too, and shortly after they were in their places, a gunshot rang out, starting the race. Sakura bounced on the balls of her feet, waiting for the baton to be passed to her, and the moment it was in her hands, she dashed off, to where Kaede was waiting.

Not wasting time with small talk, she passed it on as soon as Kaede was in reach, and then the other woman was off, dashing away at breakneck speed, and crossing the finish line just seconds later. “Hey, manager!” Kaede shouted from the finish line. “What’s our total time?”

“47.155 seconds.” The manager replied. “Not bad…”

“…but could be better.” Kaede said with an annoyed air. Then drawing herself up, she started yelling at the top of her voice. “Everyone, get over here! We’ve got a lot to talk about, and a lot more practice to do afterward.”

“ _47.155 seconds, huh?_ ” Sakura thought. “ _Hmm…I wonder what the record is for women in relay racing…I’ll have to look it up later._ ”

Then giving a mental shrug, she moved a little bit closer while also giving way, allowing the rest of the club to get closer to Kaede, who then began yelling about needing to improve everyone’s time. “ _Yeah,_ ” Sakura thought with approval at the other woman’s leadership ability. “ _Definitely a good attitude._ ”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Status report.” Sakura said as she walked through the bounded fields and into the Matou property.

In the distance, work was well underway, men in protective gear or operating engineering vehicles clearing the ruins. Rubble and broken rebar, blackened wreckage, twisted metal, lumps of slag, and even piles of ash were being gathered up and piled together. They would then be dumped into a receptacle where they’d be heated up by a foundry, burning away any remaining carbon and melting down what wouldn’t burn.

Already, other men were heating up the foundry, well, foundries. Others were readying the silver wafers prepared earlier, while others more were sorting out the lead ingots to be separately melted down.

“We’re on schedule.” Elisa replied, giving Sakura a clipboard. Sakura looked it over quickly, and then signing off on it, handed it back to Elisa. “We should be finished razing the ruins before midnight, though clearing the pit of any rubble that fell into it might take a while.”

Sakura nodded, before looking up and around. “The lights are up, I see.” She said, referring to the xenon arc lamps on high poles set up around the property and the mansion in particular. “Very good…I’d rather not have anyone work over there in the dark. It’s much too dangerous.”

“As you say, Lady Sakura.” Elisa agreed with a nod.

“Very good then.” Sakura said. “Hopefully, we can finish filling in the pit with lead by dawn tomorrow. It doesn’t have to finish setting, as it can do that over the day.”

“And once we finish filling in the pit, we can move on to the rest of the grounds.” Elisa said.

“Quite,” Sakura agreed. “All those trees need to be uprooted, along with all the grass, before we plow the earth and sow it with salt.”

Elisa nodded, and then followed Sakura as she proceeded to the command tent. Men on guard duty stood to attention and saluted as they approached, and standing down at a wave from Sakura.

“Do you think something will happen?” Elisa bluntly asked once Sakura was behind the command table.

“Hmm…there’s an old saying about plans going right…” Sakura replied.

“…and falling for the enemy’s plan.” Elisa finished with a nod. “That said, if Matou had a trap of some kind, why didn’t they set it off when the College of Law was pillaging the mansion?”

“It probably didn’t want to get into a confrontation with Policies’ Enforcers.” Sakura replied, using the alternate name for the Clock Tower’s College of Law. “It might have known that that wasn’t a battle it could win, or even _if_ it did win, the College of Law might have taken it as a challenge, and sent one of the elite Chelon Canticle Brigade to finish the job. And _that_ is a fight it cannot win, no matter what.”

“Will we be alright, then?” Elisa asked.

“The bounded fields around us were set by the College of Law, to Barthomeloi’s standards.” Sakura replied. “That should be enough to even the odds, enough that I should be able to counter anything Makiri Zolgen can pull. Especially with its workshop already compromised.”

“If you’re that confident, then I’ll believe in you until the very end, Sakura.” Elisa said.

Sakura smiled. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” She said. “In the meantime, we’ll continue with the plan. We can’t hold back simply out of fear that the enemy _might_ be waiting for us. Not once have the overcautious ever achieved anything of worth, so even if the enemy has a trap lying in wait for us, we’ll spring it, and then break it.”

“Along with the enemy itself?” Elisa asked.

“Of course.” Sakura replied, and Elisa nodded.

Falling silent, Sakura looked on across the distance, to where her men continued to raze the Matou mansion’s ruins, and gathered up its remains for disposal. And closer to where she was, foundries shimmered with heat, and lead ingots began to melt.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

Good news for Rin, yes? She’s no longer to blame for her family building a World Gate without the Association’s approval or supervision, to say nothing of working with a vampire that whole time. Or, for that matter, scamming the rest of the Moonlit World about the nature of the Fuyuki Grail Wars. Of course, the Association still considers her incompetent for not noticing or acting on any of those beforehand, though Luvia is trying to get them to lighten up on that point.


	9. Chapter 8: Il Mondo (Part VIII)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 8: Il Mondo (Part VIII)**

Something was wrong.

Even before the bounded fields flashed to active mode, multiple concentric cylinders of red with hexagonal, beehive patterns of gold surrounding the Matou property while others formed barriers over the ground, Sakura was rushing out of the command tent. Magic circuits glowed across her skin, forming blue patterns over her body as she simultaneously reinforced her body and reached into Imaginary Numbers Space.

Sparks erupted across the ground as great masses of worms erupted out of the ground in several places, long and fat with grotesquely-penile profiles, fanged mouths leering from their bulbous heads. There was no refinement to their assault, simply seeking to burst through the bounded fields with their mass and sheer numbers, and leading to their destruction in great fountains of glowing ash that plumed through the bounded fields before scattering into the night.

Sakura ignored them.

The bounded fields could handle the swarm, at least outside of the pit.

Inside it, though…

…already, Sakura could hear the screams, and could see men scattering and running away from the pit, abandoning their posts.

“ **RETURN TO YOUR POSTS!** ” she shouted, prana laced into her words forcing her men to overcome their terror and so stand and fight. “ **CONTINUE WITH THE PLAN! POUR THE MOLTEN LEAD INTO THE PIT! FINISH IT!** ”

“Well, aren’t you rude?” a gravelly voice asked from just inside the lip of the pit, and Sakura snarled as she came to a halt and saw _it_.

It was a writhing mass of hundreds of worms, like the ones from before, squealing obscenely as they wriggled against each other to get at their meal. Blood and viscera squirted out of the mass every once in a while, mixing with the slime grossly coating the worms’ bodies, a limp arm extending out of the mass slowly pulled back inside and twitching as it was eaten away.

But it wasn’t just a pile of worms. Rising above the mass, indeed, formed by the worms merging into one, was the upper torso and head of a wrinkled old man with opaque black eyes.

“If it isn’t the lost Tohsaka heiress?” Makiri Zolgen croaked with a grin. “Coming in the wake of those blind fools from the Clock Tower, and desecrating an elder’s workshop...didn’t anyone teach you…?”

Sakura didn’t bother to waste words on the abomination before her. Pulling out a flintlock pistol from Imaginary Numbers Space, she took aim with the speed and precision of long practice, and fired. Black powder ignited with a burst of sparks and thick smoke, a silver ball speeding down the rifled barrel and out with exceptional precision for a weapon of its generation.

It blew a hole clean through the vampire’s torso, several inches across in fact, courtesy of the mysteries woven into the silver. “You think this is…!” Makiri began, only to be cut off as Sakura threw aside the spent pistol, and pulling out another, fired.

It blew Makiri’s right shoulder apart, its right arm falling to the ground and melting back into a mass of worms that quickly rejoined the rest of the swarm. “This won’t…!” Makiri began again as it struggled to reform its body, but Sakura was already pulling out a third pistol.

Black powder again erupted in a burst of sparks and thick smoke, silver blowing out corrupt flesh and black ichor from Makiri’s back, through where its heart should be. A fourth pistol reopened the monster’s torso, while a fifth pistol blew its left arm off, the worms that dissolved from the limbs squealing as they fell into the molten lead slowly but steadily filling up the pit below.

A sixth pistol further widened the hole in Makiri’s chest, its regeneration slowing down as the mysteries woven into the silver bullets crushed its own mysteries to an increasing degree. Then Sakura discarded her sixth pistol…

…and instead pulled out a shotgun from Imaginary Numbers Space, one she only usually used when going on hunting trips to the countryside.

_Humans are animals too. And animals are prey to hyenas. Just like monsters are prey as well._

Custom 12-gauge rounds spat out silver buckshot, blowing Makiri’s body apart and spraying worms, ichor, and viscera down the steps and into the molten lead below. “This is not…over…” Makiri rasped, its head lying on its side against a step, separated from the rest of its body with only the bloody stump of its neck still attached to the head. “…I will…”

“Just die.” Sakura interrupted, and letting her shotgun fall to one hand, tossed a piece of jade towards Makiri. “ _Karkottaa!_ ”

The spell caused the jewel to explode outward with a blast of blue light, altering the mass of Makiri’s remains and dropping them to near zero, making it ridiculously easy for the force of the explosion to blow them into the pool of molten lead. Vapor hissed as worms, ichor, and viscera sank into the molten lead, bubbling as it struggled to escape from the depths, reality reasserting itself and causing Makiri’s remains to sink deeper into the molten lead.

Then the surface erupted in violent splashes, agonized screaming echoing into the night as Makiri flailed back and forth, trying to get the molten lead off itself, to reform its body, and to escape this agonizing death it had been consigned to. Sakura watched from above without a hint of mercy or sympathy, looking on as Makiri’s form melted and flowed of its own volition, its mysteries struggling to find any way to let it survive this nightmarish fate.

But there was no escape.

Eventually the flailing stopped, Makiri’s form melting into a writhing mass of worms squealing and jumping and even eating each other, each and every one of the wretched things trying to stay above the surface of the molten lead, to get away from the boiling heat and poisonous fumes, but even they did not last long, the swarm sinking deeper and deeper, worm by worm, into the molten lead.

But then just as Sakura was thinking it was over, the ever-decreasing number of worms melted into each other, forming an anguished yet hateful face staring up at her. Then it spoke a single sentence in strangely-accented Russian, before falling apart and vanishing into the molten lead.

_Смерть - это только начало._

Death is only the beginning.

Sakura snorted before bringing up her shotgun, and returned it to Imaginary Numbers Space. “I can see why the Barthomeloi hate your kind.” She said in contemptuous disgust, before spitting to one side. Then she gathered up her pistols, one by one, and also returned them to Imaginary Numbers Space.

“Who was the man the vampire ate?” she asked the men operating the channel that led from the foundry to the pit, through which molten lead flowed in a steady stream.

“O-Oskar Drake, ma’am.” One of the men answered.

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose, and taking a deep breath, let out a sigh. “Thank you.” She said. “Carry on with your duties, I’ll take care of informing his family, and arranging the postmortem benefits.”

“We…yes, ma’am.”

Sakura nodded, and then sighing again, headed back towards the command tent.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“…no offense, but you seem rather out of things today.” Shirou remarked come the following day. “Did something happen?”

Sakura gave him a look out of the corner of her eyes, and then gave a sigh. “One of my men got killed last night.” She replied.

“Wait, what?” Shirou exclaimed in surprise. Whatever answer he had expected, that wasn’t it. “How? Why?”

“You heard me.” Sakura replied. “Makiri Zolgen ate him to jumpstart its resurrection.”

“Makiri…you mean Zouken Matou?” Shirou asked. “That’s impossible! Rin and I killed him during the war! He can’t be alive!”

Sakura gave Shirou a look. “ _It’s_ a vampire.” She said. “They’re like bad weeds, cockroaches, even, they just don’t know when to just roll over and die.”

“…did you?” Shirou asked after a moment. “Is he really dead now?”

“…I don’t know.” Sakura admitted after a long moment. “I’d say we have to hope for the best, but also prepare for the worst.”

The two magi sat in silence for a long while, eating their lunch in a somber mood. It wasn’t until they were both finished with their meals and just soaking in the warm, spring sunshine, that Shirou started up the conversation again.

“What really happened last night?” he asked.

“I was containing the nexus of Matou taint in the city.” Sakura said. “I’d already burned and razed the Matou mansion, so the next step was to fill in the pit in that was the monster’s lair and workshop in one.”

“I’m guessing Zouken wasn’t about to let that happen.” Shirou said.

“No, it didn’t.” Sakura agreed. “Especially since I was using molten lead to fill the pit in.”

“Wait…seriously?” Shirou asked incredulously. “Molten lead? Why? And while I’ve never seen the pit myself, from what Rin said it’s very deep and wide. Where’d you get that much molten lead? How’d you even move it across the whole city?”

Sakura smiled at Shirou’s questions. “I chose lead because it’s poisonous to living things, so nothing can survive in the pit’s corners once I finish filling it up with lead.” She said. “That, and lead is magically-inert, needing especially profound mysteries to work the element instead of it just absorbing and locking away any prana you put into it without any way to get it back. As in Philosopher’s Stone-grade mysteries. Makiri Zolgen might have been an old and powerful vampire, but I doubt it could have the mysteries needed to get past all that lead.”

Well, that wasn’t completely true, but Shirou didn’t need to know the whole truth.

Still, the fact that Makiri Zolgen _might_ have a slim chance of salvaging something from his workshop despite all the lead filling it up wasn’t something Sakura completely discounted.

That was what the silver was for, aside from making shot like those which she’d used against the vampire during the previous night’s confrontation.

“As for where I got that much molten lead, and how I managed to move it across the city in bulk to the Matou property,” Sakura continued. “I didn’t need to.”

“Huh?”

“You can’t buy molten lead in any quantity.” Sakura explained. “You can buy lead ingots in industrial quantities, though. It’s also easier to move around foundries and other necessary equipment than actual molten lead.”

“…you set up a foundry in the Matou property itself, didn’t you?” Shirou asked.

“Bingo!” Sakura said with a smile and a round of applause. “Yes, that’s exactly what I did. I then had my men melt lead ingots on the spot, and then poured the molten lead into the pit.”

“And that must have provoked Zouken into moving.” Shirou said.

Sakura nodded, her smile vanishing. “Yes, I think so too.” She said. “You and my sister failed to kill it, but did enough damage that it had to retreat. It went back into hiding, to wait for a chance to rise again, and stayed in hiding even as the College of Law pillaged its residence.”

“Only to be forced to move when you began filling in its workshop.” Shirou said.

Sakura nodded again. In truth, she wondered why Makiri Zolgen hadn’t taken action sooner, but in hindsight, it probably didn’t see the burning down and razing of its mansion as a real threat. At least, threats not worth exposing itself against, especially with the bounded fields the College of Law had set up around the Matou property. Even the prospect of its workshop and lair getting filled in was probably of no concern, so long as it assumed only earth or even concrete would fill the pit.

Then Sakura had set up her foundry, and begun melting lead to fill the pit in, and the vampire’s hand was forced. And even then, the bounded fields of the College of Law meant it had to wait, until someone accidentally stepped into the pit and was left vulnerable to the monster.

“So,” Shirou began. “How’d you beat it?”

Sakura smiled and shrugged. “Now,” she said with a wink and a finger to her lips. “That’s a secret.”

“Hey, no fair.” Shirou protested. “I’m sure you know about how me and Rin beat Zouken during the Fifth Holy Grail War.”

“Hmm…well, not really.” Sakura said. “Rin’s official statement is that she alone faced and defeated Makiri Zolgen. No, I don’t think it’s to monopolize credit. I think she’s deliberately trying to keep you anonymous, and to shield you from any blowback that could result if her case failed, and your role was officially known.”

“Oh…” Shirou said, suddenly looking torn and thoughtful in equal measure. He fell silent for a couple of minutes, and then turned back to Sakura. “And what do you think?”

Sakura laughed. “Keep your secrets.” She said with another wink. “I have mine too, don’t I?”

Shirou laughed as well. “Fair enough.” He admitted. “So it’s over then? For now, at least?”

“Hmm…for now, sure.” Sakura said. “But there’s a few more things to do, just in case. No point in doing something unless you do it right, right?”

“Yeah, no argument there.” Shirou agreed with a smile.

“Great!” Sakura said with a grin. “Speaking of fair, though: how about coming to my place for dinner?”

“Huh?” Shirou asked in surprise. “Um…this isn’t a no, but why the sudden invite?”

“Hmm…well, despite being an ally of and apparently a good friend to my sister,” Sakura began. “Unlike your fellows Ryuudo and Mitsuzuri, you’ve been quite friendly to me over the past month. So I’d like to return the favor, in the most welcoming way I can think of.”

“I don’t want to impose…”

“Hardly,” Sakura interrupted with a dismissive gesture softened by a smile. “I _insist_ , Magus Emiya.”

Shirou pursed his lips while staring at Sakura, who evenly returned his gaze. Eventually, Shirou sighed and nodded. “Alright,” he said. “If that’s the way it is, I accept. On one condition, though.”

“Oh?”

Shirou smiled. “How about addressing me by first name?” he asked. “If we’re going to be friends, then you might as well.”

Sakura smiled as well. “Then,” she said. “You should do the same for me.”

“Then I look forward to dinner, _Sakura_.”

“Good to hear it, _Shirou_. Now, is there anything you’re allergic to?”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Come, come!” Sakura cheered, as they arrived at her house hours later, after school was done for the day. “Welcome to my humble home!”

Shirou just smiled indulgently at the sheer understatement of Sakura’s words, the mansion in the middle of the property at least as big as those of the Tohsaka and the Matou. The surrounding grounds were also just as big, but more elaborate than either, landscaped and arranged in an artistic fashion of some kind.

Still, he was here as a guest, and for all his flaws, Shirou had been properly-raised by his elders. So he just kept his mouth shut, and followed Sakura into the mansion.

The interior was ornately-decorated, but with a much brighter and more optimistic tone than either Tohsaka or Matou. Both favored darker atmospheres, the inside of the Tohsaka mansion having an air of…seriousness, and stoicism to it, for all its own elaboration and luxury. In contrast, Matou had a brooding, even forbidding air to its interior, something that should not have come as a surprise in hindsight.

Edelfelt, though…

…the mansion had a lively air to it, of living a good life and enjoying the pleasures it offered in relaxed opulence.

Something reinforced by the twin files of maids bowing them into the foyer, and which had Shirou feeling quite self-conscious about. So he just stayed quiet, following Sakura’s lead as she first spoke to a butler, and leading him to a living room of some kind, gestured for him to sit.

Shirou complied, looking around him in wonder at the frescoed walls, up to the similarly-frescoed ceiling, an idyllic, Arcadian landscape basking in the light of a crystal chandelier. The paintings on the walls were more of the same, showing hunting scenes and other such examples of a peaceful, yet lively pastoral lifestyle. There were also a few nudes among the paintings as well, and while Shirou had seen naked women before, he still struggled not to blush at such…

… _artistic_ liberty on display.

“Dinner is being prepared as we speak.” Sakura said. “Would you like some refreshments while we wait?”

“No, I think I’m good.” Shirou said with a nod. “It’s better to save space for dinner, after all. Thanks, though.”

Sakura nodded. “If you’re sure…” she said.

“I am.” Shirou said with another nod.

“Alright, then.” Sakura said. “Well then, in the meantime I’ll just go and get changed. Feel free to check any of the books on the shelves. Most of them are in Finnish or other foreign languages, but there should be a few Japanese titles among them. And if you ever change your mind about refreshment…”

Sakura paused and gestured at a silver bell on the coffee table. “Just ring the bell,” she said. “And a maid will come to assist you in any way you need.”

Shirou nodded again. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He said.

“Well then, I won’t be long.”

“Oh there’s no need to rush for my sake.” Shirou reassured Sakura. “Take your time.”

Sakura just smiled, and giving a curt nod, left Shirou alone in the room.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“So, what’s for dinner?” Shirou asked, after Sakura had returned and was now leading him to the dining room. Or more likely, _a_ dining room; he wouldn’t put it past her to have more than one dining room, depending on how many guests she’d have to host.

Sakura – having changed to something more casual, specifically a white blouse with long sleeves under an embroidered wool sweater, worn over dark leggings and an ankle-length skirt of blue (and which unknown to her, reminded Shirou painfully of his former Servant) – shrugged before throwing him a smile over a shoulder. “You’ll see.” She said.

Shirou just hummed wordlessly, even as they arrived in the dining room and were shown to their seats by a pair of maids. “I hope you don’t mind western food,” Sakura began. “Though I imagine it’s too late to ask that now.”

“Oh, I don’t mind.” Shirou said with a nod. “A different kind of meal every once in a while is a good thing, too.”

Sakura nodded, even as the maids placed a basket of black bread on the table, still steaming hot from the oven. They also placed butter and cheese, for the two diners’ convenience to pick from, along with a pitcher of cold water.

“What else would you like to drink?” Sakura asked, even as she took a loaf of black bread and opened it with a puff of steam. She immediately sliced off a square of butter and put it inside, letting the loaf’s heat melt the butter.

“Hmm…what do you recommend?” Shirou asked instead.

“ _Riita,_ ” Sakura responded by addressing one of her maids in Finnish. “ _Bring us two beers._ ”

“ _Yes, my lady._ ” The maid answered with a bow, and then turned to leave.

“You drink, right?” Sakura asked curiously.

“Occasionally,” Shirou said cautiously, now also helping himself to some black bread and cheese.

“So you don’t mind beer?”

“I don’t mind beer.”

“Good.”

A minutes later and Riita was back, with a pair of beer bottles and chilled glasses. She opened the bottles on the table, and poured both their glasses. Then with a bow, she stepped back, Sakura and Shirou nodding at her in thanks.

“Here’s to us.” Sakura said, taking her glass and raising it in a toast.

Shirou raised an eyebrow at the toast, but raised his glass to return it regardless. Then they both took a long drink, and resumed eating their loaves, even as the rest of their dinner arrived: a whole roast duck, meatballs cooked with vegetables in a rich sauce, and a salad.

“Any part of the duck you’d especially like to have, Shirou?” Sakura asked, as she prepared to carve up the bird.

“I’ll have a drumstick, thanks.” Shirou replied, and Sakura beamed.

“Alright then.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“So,” Sakura asked as they returned to the living room from earlier, once dinner was finished and done. “Did you enjoy dinner?”

“Very much,” Shirou said with a nod while sitting down in an armchair. “I’ve never had duck before too. It was…different, but delicious, with a rich flavor delicately seasoned with several kinds of spices. I’d love to know about the recipe, though I guess that’s too much to ask.”

Sakura laughed. “Well, you’ll have to talk to my cook for that.” She said, before turning her head as a maid arrived with coffee and slices of pecan pie, one each for them. “Dinner’s not complete without dessert, though, so I hope you don’t mind coffee and pie.”

“Oh, I don’t mind.” Shirou said, taking his coffee and inhaling the rich aroma with a satisfied air. Then replacing it back on the coffee table, he added milk and sugar, and giving it a stir, took a sip.

Sakura similarly mixed her own coffee, and relaxing on a chaise, savored the hot drink while letting the heat of her slice of pecan pie melt the cream on top.

“How are you, really?” Shirou suddenly asked.

Sakura blinked in confusion. “What?” she asked.

“How are you?” Shirou asked. “I mean…not how are you doing as a Second Owner, or are you handling what you have to do very well, just…well, how are you?”

Sakura stared at Shirou, who didn’t meet her eyes, instead busying himself with his slice of pecan pie. Sakura waited until Shirou had taken a mouthful, and then briefly closing her eyes, leaned back to slouch against the chaise.

“It’s not bad.” She said. “For all that Ryuudo and Mitsuzuri are consumed by paranoia, I find the day-to-day of life here in Japan – _Fuyuki_ – welcome enough. Well, school life, that is: it’s the closest to normality, to just…well, _living_ , that I’ve experienced here so far.”

“And?” Shirou prompted with a smile.

Sakura snorted and shrugged. “People of our age will be people of our age.” She said. “The only things that are different are the way they look and the language they speak. In all honesty, it’s proof that the bias against Orientals…against _Asians_ over at London is complete horseshit.”

“Hmm…well, let’s not go too far down that way of thinking,” Shirou said. “And just focus on the here and now. So…made any friends so far?”

“The closest one I have here in Japan is the one I’m talking to right now.”

“…oh, um…I guess…thanks, I guess?” Shirou ventured, caught completely by surprise at that.

Sakura just laughed in response. “No,” she said. “Thank _you_.”

Shirou nodded. “But, really,” he said, looking ever so concerned. “Don’t you have any other friends?”

“There’s Makidera from the Track and Field Club.” Sakura said. “I’ve actually got a trip out to town lined up this weekend with her and two other friends of hers, Yukika Saegusa, and Kane Himuro, I think their names were.”

“Well, that’s no surprise.” Shirou said, and tilting his head at Sakura’s expression of curiosity. “If you haven’t heard, they’ve got a reputation as the Track Girl Trio, though it’s an unofficial group. Still, where one of them goes, the rest will follow soon enough, and if you befriend one, expect to have the other two swarming you before long.”

“Personal experience?” Sakura asked.

“Yes.”

“Ah…” Sakura nodded and took a drink of her coffee, before starting on her pie. “Apart from those three – and you – I don’t have anyone I’m really close to, though I’m on good terms with most of my classmates, as well as juniors and schoolmates that I rub shoulders with regularly outside of class, usually in the Track and Field Club.”

“Hmm…I wouldn’t exactly call them friends…” Shirou ventured. “…more like an unofficial fan club.”

Sakura raised an eyebrow, and then smirked, before taking one of the locks of shock-whitened hair that sprouted from the front of her scalp, and twirled it with her fingers. “Well,” she said. “I do think I at least rank towards the high end of average when it comes to objective beauty, and I get bonus points for the natural white of my hair. Well, part of it, at any rate.”

“Modest…but I won’t disagree.” Shirou said with a laugh. Then he coughed, and looked away with a slight blush. “That said, just so you know, quite a few of the other boys are probably more interested in…well…uh…”

“Hmm?” Sakura hummed in curiosity.

Shirou fumbled uncomfortably, and then gave a sigh. “Let’s just say that you’ve drawn a lot of looks from boys if only because you’ve got bigger breasts than most Japanese girls of our age.” He said quickly. “Then again, I suppose that’s just your Finnish heritage, isn’t it?”

Sakura blinked, and then burst out laughing. “Oh, you mean _these_?” she said with a vague gesture to her breasts. “Well, no surprise there, men or rather _boys_ will be boys, though yes, it’s my Finnish heritage shining through. Breasts of the size I have are fairly common among women in Finland, actually. Nothing particularly unique, when all is said and done.”

Shirou coughed and stuffed himself with pie in an effort to escape this awkward topic. Unfortunately for him, Sakura noticed, and couldn’t resist the urge to be a tease. “What about you, though?” she asked, replacing her coffee on the coffee table, before hugging her arms to herself just below her breasts, emphasizing their size even through her sweater. “What do you think?”

Shirou could only choke trying to reply through a mouth full of pie, and Sakura couldn’t help but laugh at his predicament.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

Is Zouken really dead now? Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. Like Sakura said, he’s a bad weed that just doesn’t know when to just roll over and die.


	10. Chapter 9: Il Mondo (Part IX)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 9: Il Mondo (Part IX)**

Sakura looked at Shirou in alarmed concern, as the young man groaned and doubled over in pain. She immediately rushed over. “What’s wrong?” she asked, placing a hand on his back to offer comfort, while simultaneously priming her crest just in case this was a prelude to an attack by an enemy lying in wait.

Like a certain vampire she’d drowned in molten lead yesterday.

She didn’t think it could have recovered so soon – assuming it had even survived – but when it came to vampires, you could never tell.

“…the bounded fields…” Shirou groaned. “…they’re…sickening…”

“The bounded fields?” Sakura echoed in confusion.

“…it’s like…” Shirou groaned, struggling to get across what he meant. “…it’s like the air is full of poison…like there’s nothing breathable in it…it’s making my insides burn…”

Sakura blinked, and then making a guess, reached into Imaginary Numbers Space to pull out the key. Leaving Shirou for a while, she approached the threshold, and reinserting the key, keyed Shirou into the fields.

Immediately, Shirou sighed in relief, and shakily and slowly rose back up to his full height. “…thanks.” He said, curiously eyeing but deciding not to press as Sakura returned the key to Imaginary Numbers Space through a dark portal of some kind. “I guess I owe you an explanation, huh?”

“I think I can guess.” Sakura said. “You’re spiritually-sensitive, aren’t you? Even by the standards of our kind.”

“Pretty much,” Shirou admitted with a nod. “I guess…I can feel the air of a place where a lot of supernatural stuff happened. Places where a lot of people suffered and died, for example, feel like the air is full of caramel, so thick that it’s hard to breathe.”

Sakura hummed in thought, and then nodded in understanding. “I can see how that can be useful.” She said. “Anyway…I can see you’re doing better, but are you really alright?”

“I’m better, yes.” Shirou said. “I mean…I can still feel the bounded fields, like something acrid at the back of my mouth. It’s like walking in a factory, or a place like that, where they’re burning stuff that even if you don't breathe the smoke it’s still so strong you can literally taste the ash in your mouth. Well, something like that.”

Shirou paused, and lifting his head, regarded the invisible fields of magic erected by the College of Law to seal off the Matou property. “The College of Law has some pretty nasty stuff.” He finally said.

“That they do.” Sakura said with a nod, and then gestured in the direction of the gates. “Come on, you did say you wanted to see me finishing the job. Unless, you’ve changed your mind?”

“No, I can handle it.” Shirou said. “Ladies first.”

Sakura gave a wry smile, and then led the way, Shirou following in her wake. Crossing the threshold and then the gate, they stepped into the Matou property, now even more abuzz with activity than before.

Men and women were hard at work tearing up the ground, throwing sod into wheelbarrows which then took them to nearby furnaces. Others were chopping up the uprooted trees, and then wheeling the logs away to be burned with the sod. Shirou also saw the smoking ashes of previous burnings, being carried away to be thrown into a glowing mass over at the foundry.

And he also saw other men and women, carrying what looked like huge bags of salt. To his shock, he saw them liberally spreading the salt into the ground, and even making sure it got as deep as possible into the broken earth.

“You’re salting the earth?” Shirou asked in disbelief.

“Yes.” Sakura replied.

“Isn’t that a bit…too much?” Shirou asked delicately.

“No.” Sakura said, and then smiling as a tanned, dark-haired woman in a black and white business ensemble under a long, black coat approached. “Ah…Shirou, allow me to introduce you. This is Elisa Rodriguez, my chief retainer and personal bodyguard ever since I was a baby. Elisa, this is Shirou Emiya, a magus residing in this city.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Magus Emiya.” Elisa said with small bow.

“A pleasure to meet you too, Miss Rodriguez.” Shirou said with a deep, Japanese-style bow.

“I’ve come to know Magus Emiya over the past month and more.” Sakura said. “In fact, I just had dinner with him earlier. He’s pleasant company to have, and clearly of more than the reasonable sort. In that light, it seems fitting that he bears witness as I complete the seal on Makiri Zolgen’s lair.”

“Of course, my lady.” Elisa said with a deeper bow than what she gave Shirou. “All the preparations are complete, and you may perform the sealing at your convenience.”

Sakura nodded, and then gestured towards where the Matou mansion once stood. “Well, no point in putting it off,” she said while taking the lead. “Let’s get to it.”

“Yes, my lady.” Elisa said, falling into step behind Sakura.

Shirou said nothing, only nodding in agreement as he too fell into step behind Sakura.

Arriving at the blackened masonry that marked the edges of Makiri Zolgen’s underground lair, they found it completely buried under a solid mass of lead that shimmered faintly in the light of xenon arc lamps. Elisa came to a halt a few steps away, and holding Shirou back with an arm across his chest. Shirou obliged, nodding in thanks for the guidance to Elisa, who nodded back at his gratitude.

Sakura continued until she stood right on the edge of the lead filling up the pit, and then she rolled up her sleeves. Taking a series of breaths to even her breathing out, she then opened all her circuits, and flooded prana into her crest. Blue circuitry lit up across her skin, flowing over her body and down under her clothes.

Raising both hands, she nodded at the men on the other side, who responded by pouring molten silver onto the lead. Lead hissed and melted at the touch of the molten silver, lead’s melting point so much lower than that of silver. The molten metal hissed and bubbled with toxic fumes, and then Sakura was pouring her prana into the molten silver, accompanied by a five-count aria.

_By fire was silver refined of the earth,_

_And by my blood given power over the real and the unreal._

_So I command by right of blood given,_

_And bidding you to obey,_

_Grant us peace!_

The molten silver trembled at Sakura’s words, before the power and mysteries woven into its being answered their maker. The molten silver now flowed as though it had a will of its own, melting and filling grooves in the lead’s surface, and outlining a twelve-pointed mandala on the lead filling the pit. Then with a burst of escaping heat, the silver flash-cooled into solidity, and completing the seal capping what was once Makiri Zolgen’s workshop.

“That was it?” Shirou asked as Sakura approached, unrolling her sleeves.

“Yes.” Sakura replied. “It might seem overly simple and straightforward, but as you well know, I’ve been conducting rituals to prepare the silver for this very moment for a month. So much so, that a five-count aria is enough to complete the seal.”

“…I’ll take your word for it.” Shirou finally said.

Sakura smiled, and then gestured for Shirou to follow. “As you can see,” the former began while leading Shirou to the foundry. “We’re salting the earth as a precaution to prevent life that could potentially be tainted by Makiri Zolgen from rising up here.”

“I can see that, yes.” Shirou said.

“But that’s not all the precautions we’re taking, as you can see here.” Sakura said, picking up the pace towards the foundry.

On arriving, she put on a leather apron and gloves, followed by a gas mask, ear protectors, and a helmet. Elisa and Shirou followed her lead, and then climbing up an inspection catwalk, showed them – well, more Shirou than Elisa – the ongoing work.

“Ashes from burned sod and trees,” Sakura explained, her voice muffled by her gas mask. “Along with the wreckage of the former Matou mansion, are subjected to extreme heat. Enough to melt iron, and burn just about any organic material present.”

“Not enough to melt brick or other masonry, though.” Shirou remarked, and pointing to where he could see red-hot brick floating in the bubbling, semi-molten mass of slag seething in the foundry’s heat.

“Yes, but enough to melt silver.” Sakura said, and pointing in her turn to where receptacles were waiting to dump silver wafers into the slag. “Those wafers are made of the same metal I sealed Makiri Zolgen’s lair away with. By adding them to the slag, any contamination will be deadened to keep the slag safe for transport to final disposition.”

“Meaning…?” Shirou asked while glancing in Sakura’s direction.

Sakura met his gaze before answering. “There’s an active volcano around four hours’ drive from this city.” She said. “The lava pool at its crater will ensure these vectors of Matou taint will never be able to threaten anyone ever again.”

“…thorough.” Shirou could only say.

Sakura inclined her head. “That’s the idea.” She said, and turning back to the foundry. “I know and understand it’s a significant cost in precious metal, especially as this is one eight fine silver, that is, jewelry-grade silver. But needs must; better to spend much today and avoid trouble tomorrow…”

“…than to cut corners to save on money today, and spend more fixing worse consequences tomorrow.” Shirou finished with a nod. “Yeah, I see your point.”

Sakura nodded back, and spent several more moments staring into the mesmerizing, hypnotic, even, haze of heat that surrounded the foundry. “And that leads me to the next point,” she said, turning back to Shirou. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I need to cover all angles. I’ll need you to sign a geis to bind you to secrecy over everything you’ve seen and learned about today.”

Shirou met Sakura’s gaze evenly through their gas masks’ lenses, and then nodded as well. “I understand.” He said. “Though, I want to check the geis scroll personally before I sign it.”

“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.” Sakura said. “Come on, let’s get to the command tent, and you can check the geis scroll for yourself. And then we can have a spot of tea between us before we go home.”

“Then lead the way, Sakura.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Of all the stupid things you’ve ever done in your seventeen years of life,” Ayako raged as she met with Issei and Shirou in the former’s office come the following morning. “This has got to be the stupidest! And I was there when you tried to take on that monster of a Berserker! You know, the one so strong that even your Servant, Saber, the strongest of them all, always struggled against!”

Shirou did not look impressed. “And I was there when you took potshots at Lancer with a bow and arrow.” He shot back. “An _ordinary_ bow and arrow, I have to say.”

“That’s not the point here!” Ayako exploded.

“Then what is?” Shirou demanded.

Ayako slammed her fist against Issei’s table. “You went to Edelfelt’s house!” she shouted. “You had dinner with her! Where her power and knowledge are at their strongest outside of her family’s home in Europe! And worst of all, you signed a magical agreement with her! You might as well have sold your soul to her!”

“Okay, now that is just going too far.” Shirou unhappily said. “Yes, going to Sakura’s house was a huge risk, but in the over a month that I’ve known her not once has she given me reason to suspect her of anything!”

Ayako’s face took on a sickly smile. “Known her?” she echoed. “So that’s how it is, huh?”

Shirou now looked very suspicious. “What are you saying?” he demanded.

“Oh, I don’t know.” Ayako responded. “I’m just wondering, though. Was she very, _very_ good to you, Emiya?”

Shirou’s eyes went wide. “Are you seriously thinking she _seduced_ me?” he asked incredulously.

“Well, what else am I supposed to think,” Ayako sneered. “When you always seem to be siding with that…that woman, and forgetting all about our friend, Rin, traitor!”

“Mitsuzuri, get a grip!” Shirou shouted. “I’m just trying to keep the peace here!”

“No, _you_ get a grip!” Ayako shouted back. “After everything Rin’s done for us, this is how you repay her? I swear, Emiya, one of these day I am going to…!”

“ENOUGH!” Issei finally exploded, and getting to his feet slammed his hands into the table. “This bickering among ourselves is pointless!”

Both Shirou and Ayako turned to Issei at his outburst, and while Shirou quickly relented, Ayako just sneered and stormed out of the room, and slamming the door behind her. “She’ll be alright.” Issei said at the concerned look on Shirou’s face, as the latter looked in Ayako’s direction. “She just needs to cool off.”

“…I guess she does.” Shirou said with a sigh, and running a hand over his face. “And it’s not like I don’t understand how she feels, considering how close she was to Rin.”

“Hmm…that said,” Issei continued. “She does have a point.”

“What?” Shirou asked in surprise.

“You may not have sold Rin out and spat on everything she’s done for us,” Issei replied, and causing Shirou to wince internally at Issei’s word choice, and how it implied he didn’t completely trust Shirou either. “But going to Edelfelt’s house, eating dinner with her, and even signing a geis scroll…speaking frankly, Emiya, it’s all a stupid degree of risk, even for you.”

“You know I examined the geis scroll before signing it, right?” Shirou asked. “As in, look it over while reinforcing my eyes as a ‘sword that perceives hidden text’ for any fine print written in invisible ink or whatnot that can trap me. And despite what people think, considering how Fuji-nee raised me and her family’s…uh, line of businesses, I _know_ when people are trying to use fancy words and tricky sentences to scam me or someone else.”

“In other words,” Issei said. “You’re not stupid.”

“Well…yes.”

“Humph…” Issei snorted while sitting back in his seat. “…I trust you, Emiya, which is why I’m going to tell you this: I think you might be starting to get too close to the enemy.”

Shirou sighed. “Thanks, Issei…” he said. “I think.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura tossed the mystic code into the air, a golden ring revolving around a piece of quartz floating into the air even as the force of Sakura’s toss expended itself. Rainbow light shimmered around the floating piece of jewelry, and then projected a slightly blue-tinted hologram of Luvia around it.

“Sakura,” Luvia said.

“Luvia,” Sakura said with a polite nod. “You wanted to talk to me.”

“Yes, this is…personally-important, to you, I guess.” Luvia said.

“Oh?”

“Things are coming to a head over here in London.” Luvia explained. “While at this point it’s virtually-impossible for your sister to get acquitted of the charge of negligence and incompetence as Second Owner, a plea for leniency in light of her actions regardless of that fact will probably be well-received.”

“I see.” Sakura said with a slow nod. “I suppose that is good news. While Rin might as well be a stranger to me, she’s still my sister. A chance to know her would be appreciated.”

Luvia nodded in understanding. “That’s not all, is it?” Sakura prompted.

“No,” Luvia said. “No, it isn’t.”

“…go on.” Sakura prompted again.

“Your sister has problems.” Luvia said.

“Yes, that much is apparent…” Sakura began, only to trail off as Luvia shook her head.

“No, you don’t understand.” Luvia said. “Thanks to all the help I’ve given her with regard to her case, I’ve managed to earn enough of Rin’s trust to get her to start opening up to me. And one of the first things I found out was that if not for our intervention, Rin would have pled guilty to all charges, and while she’d still have sought leniency, she wouldn’t have minded a harsh punishment either. Even if execution or worse was in the cards, she was prepared to face them, all out of a sense of responsibility for her whole family and its crimes over the generations.”

“…that goes beyond a sense of responsibility.” Sakura said after a moment. “Especially since all the evidence points to Rin being ignorant of the facts behind the first three charges, and thus innocent of them unlike the rest of our Tohsaka ancestors.”

“Indeed,” Luvia agreed. “In fact, I’d even call it a martyr complex.”

“…how?” Sakura breathed after another moment.

“You can blame your mother for that, apparently.” Luvia said in disgust. “You see, I mentioned as much to Rin, and how even by magi standards she’s sacrificing too much of herself. That it’s no longer dignified or nobly self-sacrificing, as much as it had become self-parody.”

“And what did she say?” Sakura asked with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“She said that happiness was never an option for those born in magi families.” Luvia replied. “She even expressed surprise that I thought otherwise, and from further conversations, I later learned that she thinks that friends and family are all matters of convenience for magi. That we must be prepared to sacrifice or even just discard them if that is what it takes to achieve our ends.”

“What the hell?” Sakura asked in disbelief.

“Well, to be fair to your sister, it seems that she doesn’t completely believe in them,” Luvia said. “And she struggles with a great deal, at least on the inside. Still, I looked into it, and found where she got such stupid ideas from.”

“…our mother.” Sakura said with narrowed eyes.

“Yes, Aoi Tohsaka nee Zenjou.” Luvia said with a snort of contempt. “I’ve seen her, by the way. Spoken to her a few times, too. Never have I seen a more pathetic excuse for a woman in my life to date, and I’ve seen plenty.”

Sakura was silent, and then Luvia tilted her head. “Not going to defend her?” she asked.

Sakura smiled and raised an eyebrow. “She might have borne and birthed me into the world,” she said. “But she was never there in my life. She might as well be a stranger to me.”

“…hmm…cold, aren’t we?”

“…I’ve never lacked for a maternal figure in my life.” Sakura said after a moment, her thoughts briefly turning to a certain tanned and dark-haired woman who had always been there as far back as she could remember.

“Hmm…a fair point…” Luvia conceded.

“And where exactly did Aoi Tohsaka get such stupid ideas on what being a magus is about?” Sakura asked. “Also, as far as I know she’s no magus, nor has she any potential to be one, for all that she has the ability to enhance the magical potential of any of her children.”

“Apparently, she got it from her husband.” Luvia replied.

“What?” Sakura asked.

“Yes, it seems Tokiomi Tohsaka had a very…idealized, idea of what being a magus is about.” Luvia said. “Completely amoral, and totally utilitarian, to the point that bonds of blood, friendship, and honor, among other things are only worth as much as they contribute to the achievement of one’s goals. The worst part, though, from what Rin’s told me of the man, and our own investigations, is that Tokiomi Tohsaka not only had a very idealized idea of what being a magus is about, but also that he lived his life so very close to that idealized idea.”

“…I shudder to think what might have happened to yours truly had Edelfelt not claimed their due sixteen years ago.” Sakura said.

“At the very least,” Luvia began. “You’d have your mind twisted much like your sister’s has been. At least, in part: while your father might have shamed us all with his stupidity, your sister is far from completely irredeemable. She can still be taught the right way of doing things, and how being a magus doesn’t mean we cannot love, be it friends or family, or enjoy life and the good things it offers us.”

“She’s my sister…she’s an _Edelfelt_ too.” Sakura said with pride and confidence. “Our spirits don’t break that easily.”

“Hmm…though that makes me wonder,” Luvia mused aloud. “Who could have broken your father’s spirit?”

“That assumes he had an Edelfelt spirit to begin with.” Sakura sourly said. “For all we know, it could have skipped him and gone straight to me and Rin.”

“That is also possible.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The rest of the day passed without incident, though Sakura was sure that Ayako was giving her the evil eye whenever she could. In hindsight, that should have come off as a bad omen of some sort.

“What is _this_?” Sakura asked as she arrived at the rendezvous point.

“We caught them with an underage girl in the surrounding area this afternoon.” Elisa said, referring to the group of young men with dyed hair and garishly-colored clothes, gagged and tied up on the ground. “As you know, we’re scouting out the area in preparation for your New Moon ritual next month…”

“Yes, yes,” Sakura said while eyeing the men, and feeling…repulsed, by their mere existence for some reason. “So what’s so wrong that they’re in such a state? I doubt you’d have gone this far if all that was needed was to alter their memories.”

“We – _I_ – am pretty sure they were trying to force the girl to come with them against her will.” Elisa explained, before holding up a set of vials, each good for a single injection. “We also found these on them, along with a set of syringes.”

Sakura’s gaze hardened, and holding out a hand allowed Elisa to hand her one of the vials. Sakura then held it up, while analyzing its contents by magical means, as well as their properties. “Are these what I think they are?” she asked.

“That depends on what you think they are.” Elisa replied.

“Heroin?”

Elisa nodded grimly. “Yes,” she said. “It’s heroin.”

Sakura narrowed her eyes, and then reinforced her hands while imbuing them with the earth element. The pushers/would-be rapists’ eyes went wide as she then crushed the vial she was holding to powder, the liquid inside dribbling down to the ground.

“Execute them immediately.” Sakura ordered with a dismissive wave, the residue on her hands already breaking down at nonverbal actualizations of her mysteries. “I’ll take care of the corpses later.”

The pushers/would-be rapists started struggling, muffled shouts and pleading coming through their gags, but Sakura paid them no mind. Elisa nodded at her men, who forced the pushers/would-be rapists to kneeling positions, and then drawing her sidearm, Elisa executed them one by one.

Single shots to the head, ending their lives quickly and painlessly, cleaner ends than what they actually deserved.

Meanwhile, Sakura proceeded to where a middle school-age girl was sitting by herself, dark hair braided up into a pair of pigtails. She was a bit plain-looking, though Sakura wondered if that was thanks to the glasses she was wearing, as they seemed too big for the girl before her.

“You alright there, kid?” she asked softly.

The girl looked at Sakura, then at the cooling corpses in the distance, and then down to the ground. “Yes.” She quietly said.

“Really?” Sakura asked again. “Do you need anything? Water? Something hot to eat?”

“…I’ll be fine.” The girl quietly replied again.

“…if you’re sure…” Sakura uncertainly said.

The girl nodded, then glanced back at the corpses lying next to spilled blood and brain matter in the distance. “You killed them.” She said.

Sakura sighed. “Yes, I did.” She said. “Not that anyone’s really going to miss a trio of thugs like them.”

“…what now?” the girl then asked.

“Now, you get to go home.” Sakura said with a reassuring smile.

The girl stared at her. “Who are you?” she asked.

Sakura just raised a hand in the girl’s direction, replying even as the latter’s eyes turned blank and then closed shut in sleep. “I am simply a figment of your imagination.” Sakura said, before nodding to the men guarding the girl. “Keep her safe, we’ll drop her off with the police later.”

“Yes, ma’am.” They chorused.

Sakura nodded then walked away, pulling out a pair of jewels. One, a piece of jade with which to get rid of the pushers/would-be rapists corpses. The other, a brilliantly-cut piece of pink agate mounted on a golden chain as a pendulum, with which to find the right spot for her New Moon ritual come the next month.

“Now then,” Sakura said softly to herself. “Let’s get to work.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

Thanks to [USER=87080]Cubia[/USER] again for helping with this chapter, in particular, the POV involving Luvia and Sakura talking about Rin and the psychological damage that Tokiomi and Aoi inflicted on her. In hindsight, I’d forgotten to thank him for help with a few previous chapters too, so here it is: thanks!


	11. Chapter 10: L’Imperatrice (Part I)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 10: L’Imperatrice (Part I)**

The night sky above was dark.

But of course it was: it was the night of the New Moon, after all. Add to that all the pollution characteristic of the cities of the modern age, and there was little starlight to make up for the lack of moonlight.

Not that Sakura actually needed the moonlight, of course. At least, not on this night. In fact, the New Moon’s lack of moonlight was part of the ritual, symbolizing at once an end and a beginning. The end of the previous Lunar cycle, and the beginning of the new Lunar cycle.

And so Sakura sat in the middle of a suburban woodland, over a spot determined by her divinations as suitable for her ritual. Here, she tapped into the ley-line beneath, and by her mysteries and the power of her blood, sought to influence it to her will.

Flames burned in the middle of a stone circle, green like corposant and edged with white ghost-light. They burned hot though, like normal flames, and indeed, had already reduced the kindling and logs from when Sakura first set the flames ablaze at sunset. Now, though, the flames burned, and kept on burning, despite the absence of physical fuel.

Prana was enough.

A miracle in its own right, made even more so by Sakura lacking affinities for the fire element. And yet the flames burned, eagerly feeding on the mana welling up from the ley-line below, dancing to the tune of Sakura’s music.

Sakura sat on a camp stool to one side of the circle, behind a street organ painted a simple purple with red edges, elegant flourishes carved into the wooden exterior. A brass horn sprouted from one side, from which tinkled out cheerful music as Sakura turned the street organ’s crank at an even pace, and which took on an eerie air in the dark of the New Moon, and the ghastly flames of the witch-fire before her.

Every once in a while, Sakura would reach down with a free hand, and dipping it into a tray mounted to one side of the street organ, tossed out a handful of gems into the flames. Each and every time, the flames roared in grateful acceptance of the offered fuel, jade, obsidian, tourmaline, and agate crumbling in the witch-fire and allowing Sakura’s od to trickle into and feed the witch-fire.

All around her, the woodland was quiet but for the sound of Sakura’s street organ, no animal daring to make a sound much less move in the face of such an…unnatural, spectacle. Similarly, the air was quiet and still, no breeze breaking the solitude of the woodland, as though the very air itself bore witness to Sakura’s efforts to keep her witch-fire burning until the sunrise, and so finish her ritual.

Her men were there, though. They patrolled along the edge of the woodland, armed with both mundane weapons and mystic codes their mistress had given them. No bounded fields could be set here, lest they perturb the ether or disrupt the flow of mana through the ley-line beneath, and render the ritual meaningless.

And so it fell to Elisa and the men and women under her command to keep…interlopers, from ruining Sakura’s efforts.

All through the night they kept watch, turning away policemen, the homeless, late night wanderers and those simply curious, and by means of borrowed magic made them think that they had other business elsewhere. And so the ritual proceeded, eerie and cheerful notes dancing in the cold night air in the dark of the New Moon, until the skies above lightened, midnight blue giving way to ultramarine, and then to rose and pearl, as the Sun rose into the sky.

One more time the flames roared as though in acknowledgement, and then went out.

The ritual completed, Sakura allowed herself to stop turning her mystic code, and then slumped down in exhaustion.

_My God…what a night._

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rin Tohsaka sighed as the hired help began carrying their things back inside the Tohsaka mansion. Well, it was mostly just clothes and other necessities: she might have been under arrest, but the principle of innocent until proven guilty was something even the College of Law followed.

Not that it was really surprising, as that principle had originated with the ancient Roman state. So while the College of Law might laugh at such modern…innovations, like Human Rights, writ of _habeas corpus_ and other such time-honored principles, though, were held in high regard.

The concept of bail was not recognized, though.

So while Rin and her mother were allowed to live in relative luxury during Rin’s trial and the many hearings thereof, they had remained under arrest, under constant watch with their every movement closely guarded.

But with the trial over and done with Rin largely proven innocent, they could finally go home. At least, after Edelfelt had made clear where things now stood. The thought made Rin’s fists clench in frustration, and not for the first time.

_A sister…_

_…I had a sister all this time, and my mother never told me._

_Why?_

_Why didn’t my father do more after what happened sixteen years ago?_

_Why didn’t mother tell me about our –_ my _– family in Finland?_

_Why hide behind so many lies and secrets?_

_Why?_

_They would have ruined everything had not it been for Luvia…_

_…my cousin…_

_…the cousin I never knew about until recently._

_Just like my sister!_

“My lady…”

Rin blinked at the sudden diffident voice behind her, and turning, looked on as a kimono-wearing maid gave a polite bow. “There’s a woman at the door, asking to see you.” The maid said.

“Who is it?” Rin asked. “What did they want?”

“She introduced herself as Elisa Rodriguez, my lady.” The maid replied. “She says she’s here on behalf of the Second Owner.”

Rin blinked and then drew herself up. “Send her in immediately.” She ordered.

“Yes, my lady.” The maid said with a bow, and then turning, walked away. Rin sighed, then slowly walking around the living room, ended up before a large portrait of her father hanging in a gilt frame above the mantel. She stared into the portrait’s unseeing eyes, wondering if her father would ever have shared all his secrets and the reasons behind them had he not died when she had still been so very young.

Of course he would have.

Wouldn’t he?

Rin blinked and then turned as the maid arrived with an older woman in tow, the latter wearing a black and white business ensemble, a greatcoat draped over an arm. “Elisa Rodriguez, I presume?” Rin asked.

The tanned and dark-haired woman stood to attention and gave a curt bow. “You presume correctly, Lady Tohsaka.” Elisa said. “I apologize for intruding so early in the morning, and so soon after your arrival…”

“Then why are you here?” Rin interrupted, determined to not appear weak at the very least, and give the impression that recent events had broken her in any way.

“…very well then,” Elisa said after a moment. “I am here on orders from Lady Sakura. She apologizes for not being able to meet and greet in person, but she has school to attend to at this time.”

“School?” Rin echoed in disbelief. “My sister’s attending school here?”

“Yes.” Elisa said with a nod. “Is there a problem with that?”

“…it was just a surprise, that’s all.” Rin said, narrowing her eyes and meeting Elisa’s own. “Is that all you’re here to do?”

“I am also here to extend to you an invitation to meet with Lady Sakura this evening, and have dinner with her.” Elisa said, pulling out a letter from a pocket and extending it to Rin. “Naturally, the invitation also extends to your and my lady’s mother.”

Rin stared at the letter for a few moments, and then stepping closer, took it from Elisa’s hand. The envelope was unsealed, allowing Rin to pull out the neatly-folded letter inside quickly. Both the letter and the envelope were made from top-quality parchment, the kind you expected the elites of magi society would use for personal correspondence.

And…

…which Rin herself had never used once in her life.

Indeed, several months ago, Rin would have dismissed the thought of using such parchment an extravagant waste, and derided anyone using them when perfectly-serviceable and more economic paper was available. Now, though…

…she didn’t know what to think.

Pushing that thought aside, though, Rin quickly read through the contents of the letter. It said nothing more than what Elisa had already said, if couched in more…flowery, language. Thinking things through quickly, Rin made her decision.

“I accept my sister’s invitation,” she said. “But I cannot make promises with regard to our mother’s presence. She is currently…recuperating, from the stress of recent events.”

Elisa gave a polite bow. “If that is your response, then I will convey it to my lady.” She said. “If there is nothing more, then I will take my leave.”

“Well, there is one thing…” Rin began.

“I will answer to the best of my ability, Lady Tohsaka.” Elisa said with a nod.

“I get the feeling you’re not just a messenger.” Rin said. “What are you to my sister?”

Elisa gave a small smile. “I am lady’s chief retainer and personal bodyguard.” She simply said, but the unsaid things said so much more. That is, if Sakura had sent her chief retainer to bring a simple invitation to Rin, well…

“I see.” Rin said with a nod. “I understand. You may take your leave, Miss Rodriguez.”

Elisa gave a polite bow, and then turning sharply, left the living room, escorted back through the mansion and outside by a maid. Alone with herself, Rin let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding in, and fingering the letter from Sakura, took another deep breath.

Breaking the news to her mother was going to be an ordeal in itself.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Oh good, you’re all here.” Sakura cheerfully remarked, sitting balanced precariously on the rooftop level’s safety railing.

“Two minutes.” Ayako said with arms crossed over her chest.

Issei coughed. “First of all,” he said. “Edelfelt, sitting there is very dangerous, and second, it’s against the rules.”

Sakura shrugged. “Your opinion is noted.” She said. “Now then…getting to the point, I’m inviting you all to dinner tonight, Shirou, Mitsuzuri, and Ryuudo. At my place, of course, my treat.”

Shirou raised an eyebrow, while Issei pushed his glasses up his nose. Ayako snorted though, and then placing her hands on her hips, drew herself up. “And why exactly would we accept your invitation?” she asked. “We’re not exactly close, you know, and if you’re trying to show off or bribe us into becoming your…”

“Rin’s back from London,” Sakura said with a dismissing gesture with a hand. “And she’s coming over for dinner tonight. In fact, she’ll be expecting to see you tonight, and I doubt you’d want to disappoint her.”

Well, that was a lie, Rin certainly didn’t know anything about Shirou, Ayako, and Issei joining them for dinner tonight, in fact, it was supposed to be a surprise. But that wasn’t important, and the three of them didn’t need to know that, what they don’t know won’t hurt them or something.

“…you play dirty, Edelfelt.” Ayako accused.

“And you are plain rude,” Sakura snapped. “Ever since the day we first met.”

Ayako sniffed and glared at Sakura, who met her gaze evenly. After several long moments, though, Ayako gave way first, and left in silence. Well, mostly in silence, as she paused right at the stairwell entrance.

“What time?” she asked.

“Dinner will be around seven-thirty in the evening.” Sakura said. “Please do be punctual, and appear presentable.”

Ayako sniffed again, and then left, leaving Sakura alone with Shirou and Issei. “Will Rin really be there?” Issei asked.

“Yes.” Sakura laconically replied.

“Then I look forward to meeting her again.” Issei said with a curt nod. “I apologize for Ayako’s rude words and actions, and thank you for your generous invitation. Rest assured, I will be there punctually, and in presentable attire.”

Sakura nodded, and with a polite bow, Issei also left, leaving Sakura alone with Shirou. After a moment, the former smiled at the latter.

“Well, that went well.” She said.

“What are you planning, Sakura?” Shirou asked with a sigh.

Sakura shrugged. “Making my sister comfortable,” she said. “And figuratively dousing Mitsuzuri with a bucket of water. This should ease her up quite a bit…that, and assuming her relationship with my sister is what it seems to be, easing her off with a hot and husky reunion night between lovers.”

Shirou made a face, while Sakura smirked. “Something wrong, Magus Emiya?” she asked.

“No comment.” Shirou replied, and Sakura laughed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“It seems Lady Aoi has not accompanied Lady Tohsaka for tonight’s dinner.” Elisa remarked.

“Unsurprising,” Sakura said, standing on the other side of the map table in her mansion’s situation room. Both of them kept their eyes on a holographic screen with a live link to one of Sakura’s familiars, one of several conducting surveillance of the Tohsaka mansion. “Considering recent events.”

Elisa nodded, and then Sakura turned to her with a small smile. “Speaking of which,” she began. “Are you sure? If you become a surrogate, it’d increase your standing within House Edelfelt by more than a few points.”

“I’m sure it would.” Elisa said before smiling back at Sakura. “But I’m happy where I’m at.”

“Hmm…well, I guess that I’m having second thoughts about having to share, in hindsight.” Sakura admitted, and Elisa chuckled.

“Think things through next time, Lady Sakura.” Elisa said, using formal language considering there were others in the room. Some watched more surveillance footage, while others were monitoring the airwaves or the telephone lines. A trio of women were even manning radar consoles, with infra-red backups on standby.

“Hmm…thanks for the reminder.” Sakura said with a nod. The she gestured, changing the hologram to three new ones. “And here are our other guests: Shirou Emiya, Issei Ryuudo, and Ayako Mitsuzuri.”

“They do look presentable, at least.” Elisa said before quirking an eyebrow. “Very formal, though, in Mister Ryuudo’s case.”

“And I’m not very formal?” Sakura asked, gesturing at herself in a full dress of blue brocade with elaborate embroidery in white lace, along with a matching pair of white leather boots with gilt buttons. White velvet gloved her hands, while hanging earrings of gold and jade could be seen poking through the luxurious mass of ringlets her hair had been styled in.

“Good point.” Elisa conceded. “Perhaps it’s for the best that Lady Aoi isn’t attending tonight’s dinner.”

“True,” Sakura admitted. “Considering my style is quite common in the family, my appearance tonight would probably give her a panic attack.”

“Yes, I think so too.” Elisa agreed.

Sakura nodded, and then reaching into a pocket, brought out a pocket watch in silver, which she opened with a flick of a finger. “Ten to seven…” she said softly. “…they should be here within the next fifteen minutes…punctual of them…excellent.”

“Dinner should be ready by the predetermined time.” Elisa remarked.

Sakura nodded again. “Good,” she said. “It wouldn’t do for the host to not be punctual, when the guests clearly are.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One thing was for sure, whatever was planned, Ayako rushing over at the sight of Rin and pulling her into a passionate kiss was _not_ part of them. “A-Ayako…people are staring…” Rin complained, struggling to get out of her girlfriend’s tight embrace, her face flushed and heated.

“Let them stare.” Ayako said, gently but firmly catching Rin by the chin. “We’ve got several months to catch up on, you and me.”

“I…”

Whatever Rin was going to say, it was lost with another round of passionate kissing. The maids murmured to each other, even as their smug mistress walked over to Shirou and gave him a knowing look and smile.

“Shut up.” Shirou said, and it took all Sakura had to keep from laughing out loud.

“Oh don’t be like that,” she said while tapping him on an arm with a folded fan of blue silk and pearl-inlaid wood. “I must say, though, you’re looking well tonight. The same for you as well, Mister Ryuudo.”

Though if she were honest, Sakura preferred Shirou’s style over Issei’s, Shirou wearing a simple and sober business ensemble in black and white. Rather unoriginal when all was said and done, but its simplicity was its selling point, making him look presentable without making him look…severe.

Issei, on the other hand…

…Sakura had nothing against kimonos, but Issei’s very formal black and grey kimono (complete with crests on the shoulders) made for a very stiff appearance. Not that Issei seemed in any way stiff, awkward, or just plain looking out of place in what he was wearing. On the contrary, he looked quite comfortable, like he was perfectly in his element.

…

…

…

…

…

No surprise there, in hindsight. They might not be friends, but Sakura knew enough of the man by now that he was very much a stickler for the rules (of any kind).

Though, if he’d actually added a sword or two to the set, Sakura would have been impressed enough to ignore the stiffness.

_Hmm…assuming I don’t have anything to take me away from here – or even that – I think I know what Christmas present to give him._

“You’re looking very well tonight as well, Miss Edelfelt.” Issei said with a deep, Japanese-style bow. “Is that silk, if I might ask?”

“100% hand-woven brocade, in fact.” Sakura replied with a western curtsy.

Issei gave a small smile at the amusing contrast between their nonverbal displays of respect. Anything more he had to say had to wait, though, as Rin and Ayako finally broke away from each other and walked closer. Ayako looked wary, but Rin only had eyes for Sakura.

Sakura noticed, and giving a smile that actually had Shirou, Issei, and even Ayako’s eyes widening at how just like Rin’s smile it was, tilted her head. “We meet at last, sister.” She said. “You’re looking well, all things considered.”

“I guess I do.” Rin said before swallowing dryly. “You’re also looking well…Edelfelt took real good care of you, didn’t they?”

“Of course they did.” Sakura replied, looking ever so slightly curious. “Why wouldn’t they?”

Rin’s eyes narrowed by a fraction. “No reason.” She said.

Sakura inclined her head ever so slightly. “Shall we continue this at a more appropriate location?” she asked. “The foyer isn’t the most comfortable place to speak in.”

There were no objections, and after a few moments, Sakura was leading them away to a sitting room.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Tea, anyone?” Sakura offered.

“I’ll have a cup.” Issei immediately said.

“So will I.” Rin said.

Ayako and Shirou followed suit, and within minutes, all of them were nursing cups of tea each, though only Sakura added a dash of honey to hers. The rest took theirs black, and while it was subtle, she could see they’d have preferred green tea to black tea.

Unsurprising, considering this was Japan, but Sakura preferred black tea, having grown up with it. Not that they seemed to particularly dislike it, though. It just seemed to not fit their palate.

“So,” Rin began. “Luvia’s told me you’ve been busy the past couple of months, taking care of your responsibilities as Second Owner.”

Sakura raised an eyebrow, Shirou winced, while Issei and Mitsuzuri both looked rather wary. Then they looked surprised, as Sakura just burst out laughing.

“Oh very clever,” she congratulated them. “Pulling the wool over my eyes for so long, to think you knew all about the Moonlit World all this time.”

“Well, yeah,” Ayako said more than a bit smugly. “We _are_ Rin’s friends, after all.”

“More than friends, from the look of things, in your case.” Sakura said before turning back to Rin. “Oh don’t give me that look, for all that Mitsuzuri’s been quite hostile to me for all this time, they do seem the trustworthy sort, so I’ll trust your judgment on this. If you think it’s safe letting them know about the Moonlit World, then so be it.”

“Thanks…I think.” Rin said, before giving Ayako a look. The other woman looked a bit sheepish, before mouthing “I’ll tell you later” to Rin, who sighed and took a calming drink of her tea.

“But yes,” Sakura said after a drink of tea of her own. “I’ve been keeping busy. The Matou property has now been completely contained, between my efforts as well as the wards left behind by the College of Law. Shinji Matou has also been neutralized, at least in part, though contingencies are in place.”

“Is Shinji really that dangerous?” Rin asked. “I mean…yeah, he’s Zouken’s direct descendant, but Zouken’s dead, and Shinji’s…”

“Makiri Zolgen isn’t dead.” Sakura interrupted. “It reappeared while I was containing the Matou property, and while I destroyed that body, you never know with vampires. Especially since it taunted me before that body was destroyed, saying “death is only the beginning”. Of course, it could just be a bluff, but you never know.”

Sakura paused and shrugged. “A report has been filed to the College of Law.” She said. “It has been acknowledged, and the records updated to reflect the fact. The execution on sight order for Makiri Zolgen stands, and any and all that give sanctuary and assistance to it shall be branded heretic and renegade, with appropriate sanctions to be levelled by the College of Law.”

“…but,” Shirou began. “Shinji…didn’t the College of Law let him go in the first place? If he was so dangerous, that Zouken could use him as a way to…I don’t know, do something, I doubt they’d have let him go.”

“Hmm…I wouldn’t exactly say they let him go.” Sakura admitted. “In truth the official documentation with regard to his brief incarceration by the College of Law has final disposition left blank, and up to the discretion of the Second Owner.”

Sakura paused again. “In short,” she said before taking a drink of tea. “They dumped the job of dealing with him once and for all up to me.”

“You let him live, though, from what I’ve been told.” Rin said.

“Makiri Zolgen could really have been dead at the time.” Sakura said. “If so, killing Shinji would have been meaningless death, and I don’t deal in meaningless death. I’m a soldier of fortune, not a murderer.”

_That_ got raised eyebrows all around, while Rin continued. “But now?” she prompted.

Sakura shrugged. “Makiri Zolgen could still really be dead after our confrontation.” She said. “But if it’s still alive…well, like I said, contingencies are in place.”

Sakura took a drink of her tea. “Speaking of which,” she said. “I don’t know if Luvia told you, but as head of the family, she’s agreed that you could so much better. Therefore, your engagement with Shinji Matou is null and void, effective immediately, and the matter declared closed with finality.”

Rin wasn’t sure how to react to that.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Whoa…” Ayako said with unmasked awe. “Is that a roast pig?”

“Yes, it is.” Sakura said.

“…I think we should start over.” Ayako said after a moment, and Sakura laughed while Rin smiled. Nearby, though, Shirou just placed a comforting hand on Issei’s shoulder, as the latter looked really unhappy at the sight, no thanks to his devoutly-Buddhist upbringing.

Not that roast pig was the only item on the menu, of course. It was just the centerpiece. There were also a pair of fish dishes, cooked in cream and mushroom sauce with vegetables, along with plenty of mashed potato and black bread. There was cheese and butter, and as the maids helped them sit, offered them a selection of drinks.

“Eh…I’m not really someone who knows how to pick wine.” Ayako admitted quickly. “How about a beer?”

“I’m fine with beer.” Shirou said.

“So am I.” Ayako said.

“Water, thank you.” Issei firmly said.

“…I think I’ll start with red wine for the pork…” Rin said while examining the selection offered to her, and pointing out her choices. “…and then white wine for the fish later.”

“Hmm…excellent choices, sister.” Sakura said as she noticed her sister’s choices.

Rin shrugged. “I have my moments.” She said.

“Hmm…so it would seem.” Sakura conceded. “I’m wondering though…mother was invited too.”

“Ah well…she’s indisposed.” Rin delicately said, unable to meet Sakura’s eyes. “She sends her apologies, but hopes we enjoy the night, regardless.”

Sakura hummed, not quite believing Rin’s vague response, and from the look on Issei and Ayako’s faces, she could see it was the same with them. That, and there was relief there as well.

“Something you want to say, Ryuudo and Mitsuzuri?” she asked.

Issei looked disinclined to answer, but Ayako wasn’t so limited. “Missus Tohsaka doesn’t like us.” She said. “That’s pretty much it, when all is said and done.”

“Actually…it’s more that she doesn’t like my closeness with you.” Rin delicately elaborated. “Mom doesn’t mind me having friends, it’s just that…well, you’re not magi, or even spell-casters, so she thinks it’s improper that we’re so close.”

“…I’m guessing that your relationship isn’t known to mother?” Sakura ventured.

“She has suspicions.” Rin said, looking very downcast. “Mom’s…tried, to confront me over it in the past. I’ve managed to deflect her suspicions, but…it’s not that I’m ashamed of Ayako, but…it’s _mom_. I can’t just…”

Rin trailed off, though Ayako took her hand and squeezed tight with reassurance. Rin squeezed back, and giving her girlfriend a tender smile. Sakura hummed at the sight, and remembering past conversations with Luvia on Rin’s problems and how Aoi Tohsaka had been largely responsible for them, silently thanked Ayako, Issei, and Shirou for keeping her sister sane.

_Where does someone with no ability to use magic like mother gain the right to talk about what being a magus is about?_

_Much less claim that we cannot and should not aspire towards happiness, whether it be with our friends or family?_

The arrival of drinks caused Sakura’s dark thoughts to dispel, and as she smiled while leading the toast, decided against pursuing this topic further.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

L’imperatrice: The Empress, the third card of the Major Arcana. It’s traditionally depicted as a woman in regal attire seated on a throne, holding a scepter and wearing a crown with twelve stars. The scepter symbolizes the Empress’ authority over life, and the twelve stars on her crown her dominion over the year. The Empress is also enthroned amidst a wheat field, further symbolizing her power to grant healthy growth to those she favors.

The card’s associations include new opportunities, abundance of resources or opportunities or anything that might answer needs and wants both, stability, even maternal care or auspicious prospects for a pregnancy.

Again, thanks to [USER=87080]Cubia[/USER] for helping write this chapter. In particular, the part where Aoi wouldn’t approve of Rin’s closeness with Ayako and Issei, and especially about Rin and Aoi’s schoolgirl lesbian romance. That, and that Rin wouldn't hide her true nature from her close friends (of which she had none in canon, hence her keeping her true nature secret there).


	12. Chapter 11: L’Imperatrice (Part II)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 11: L’Imperatrice (Part II)**

“I’d have thought you’d want to catchup with your sister, or something.” Shirou remarked.

Sakura shrugged, as she poured coffee for them both. “And I’d never have thought you’d double back here,” she said. “Even after everyone else had gone home after dinner. Is my company that much desirable for you?”

Shirou gave a small smile as Sakura handed him his coffee. “And if it is?” he asked back.

Sakura smiled in her turn. “You’d have to do better than that to make me blush.” She said. “As to what you said earlier, well, I’ll admit my sister and I aren’t that close. Not nearly as much as her and Mitsuzuri are, and from the look and sound of things, Rin would rather catchup with her lover than she would with me tonight.”

Sakura paused, and then shrugged again. “We have plenty of time.” She said. “Who am I to get in the way of young love?”

Shirou hummed thoughtfully at that. “Romantic, aren’t you?” he asked.

“Ha! Not really…but I guess Marjatta rubbed off on me by just a bit.” Sakura admitted with a laugh.

“Another one of your cousins?” Shirou asked.

“Yes.” Sakura said. “Luvia’s twin sister, in fact, and probably the sweetest one of our whole generation. Even those among us who argue with each other would agree that Marjatta is the dearest of us all, and anyone who makes her cry will be hunted down to the ends of the Earth.”

“Scary…” Shirou said. “…and poetic, too.”

Sakura shrugged (again). “I have my moments.” She said.

“That you do.” Shirou agreed, before lifting his mug to his lips to take a drink. Sakura followed suit, the two magi spending the next few minutes in silence, enjoying their coffee and waiting for the other to speak. In the end, it was Shirou who restarted the conversation.

“So,” he began. “What now?”

“That remains to be seen.” Sakura said. “Like I’ve told you before, I don’t plan on permanently taking up the post of Second Owner for Fuyuki. But at the same time, I can’t just desert my post either. And while I’d prefer it if Rin could somehow be restored to the post…”

“…as things stand, it can’t be, right?” Shirou finished.

“Yes.” Sakura replied with a nod. “A lot of what happens next will depend on Rin’s plans for the future.”

“…it could be worse, I guess.” Shirou sighed. “At least she managed to keep her house and the land it stands on, along with her family’s other properties in the mundane world. Oh, and most of her crest too…if I remember right, so long as a magus has their crest, even if they lose all their research papers and mystic codes, with their crest, they can always rebuild those, given time, effort, and materials.”

Shirou paused. “I’d say it’s generous for the Association to have let Rin keep so much,” he said with a scowl. “Only I can’t, because they took everything she and her family owned over at the Clock Tower.”

Sakura shrugged. “It couldn’t be helped.” She said. “Those, along with the Tohsaka circuits in Rin’s crest, are the only way anyone – _anything_ – can take responsibility for the Tohsaka ancestors’ treachery. And someone – something – _has_ to take responsibility.”

“I guess so.” Shirou grumbled.

Sakura silently drank her coffee, and deciding to refrain from bringing up Edelfelt’s own price for all the assistance they’d rendered to Tohsaka. In any case, Rin hadn’t brought it up – yet – so Sakura had a way out in case anyone accused her of avoiding the topic in the future.

If Rin was mum on the topic, then why should Sakura be any different? It was private, _family_ business, anyway.

“Rin’s future, and that of the post of Second Owner aside,” Sakura continued, and changing the topic in a plausible direction. “The Fuyuki Grail remains an issue. In part, at least: disconnecting it from the ley-lines is doable, if needing plenty of time and effort to achieve.”

“Materials, too?” Shirou guessed.

“Compared to containing Matou,” Sakura disagreed. “Actually no. That’s not to say that there aren’t significant material costs, as rituals will still need to be done, but nowhere near what it cost me to contain Matou’s taint.”

“I hope you don’t wear yourself out as much as you did with Matou.” Shirou said.

“I shouldn’t,” Sakura said with a small smile. “But wear and tear are simply unavoidable. I appreciate the thought, though.”

Shirou just hummed in response. “And?” he prompted. “You mentioned that disconnecting the ley-lines will only be a partial solution. I’m guessing the Grail itself will be a major headache to deal with once and for all.”

“You guess correctly.” Sakura sourly said. “I have a few proposals about that, but the nature of the Grail as a ruined World Gate complicates things. There are politics involved, so I’ll have to defer final judgment and the like to Luvia and her advisors.”

“Politics…” Shirou echoed unhappily. “…sounds great…you have my sympathies, Sakura.”

“Thanks…and I’m sure Luvia would be thankful too.” Sakura said with a sigh.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Shirou asked.

Sakura gave him another smile. “I appreciate the offer,” she said. “And I’ll let you know if something comes up.”

Shirou smiled back and nodded at that response. “I’ll do what I can when that time comes.” He said.

“Speaking of which,” Sakura said while glancing at the grandfather clock standing in a corner. “It’s almost nine-thirty in the evening. I’m not telling you to leave, but it is getting late. Shouldn’t you be heading for home, before it gets much too late? Magus or not, travelling the streets at night can get dangerous. Though, if you want to stay a while longer, I don’t mind. I can always lend you a car to get you home with if it comes to that.”

“Hmm…good point, and tomorrow’s a school day too.” Shirou admitted before finishing his coffee. “Thanks for the talk and coffee, though. I guess I’ll be going then.”

“You sure you don’t want to borrow the car?” Sakura asked. “It’s no trouble at all.”

Shirou gave a small laugh and shook his head. “No, it’s fine.” He said. “Besides, I’m feeling very full right now, so a good long walk should do me just right. It’ll also give me a chance to think things over. As for danger at night…well, me being a magus too aside, let’s just say I also have…other ways, of getting around.”

Sakura hummed while smiling and raising an eyebrow at that. “Well, aren’t you full of surprises, Magus Emiya?” she asked with faux-mockery.

Shirou just shrugged. “I guess I am.” He said while setting down his coffee mug on its saucer on a nearby table. “Well then, I’ll be going. I’ve said this earlier, but again, thank you for having me and everyone else over, dinner was very delicious, as was the tea before that, and the coffee just now.”

“You’re welcome, Shirou.” Sakura said. “Though, there’s no need to pretend: you’re not too fond of black tea, are you?”

“…erm, sorry.”

Sakura chuckled and then shook her head. “It’s fine.” She said. “To each their own, and all that. Well then, have a safe trip, and sleep well tonight.”

“You too, Sakura.” Shirou said with a nod. “Goodbye, and good night.”

Sakura nodded back, looking on as Shirou left the room, and left her by herself to finish her own coffee.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Tohsaka, you’re back!”

“Welcome back, Tohsaka!”

“It’s good to see you again, Tohsaka!”

“Long time no see, right, Tohsaka?”

“Oh wow, it really is you: welcome back, Tohsaka!”

Despite herself, Rin gave her classmates a rare smile. It wasn’t quite the same class from last year, though there were plenty of old and familiar faces. Speaking of which…

“Come on, now,” Ayako said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere and placing an arm protectively around Rin’s shoulders. “Rin’s just come back from her trip overseas, and had to attend school right away without any chance to recover just so she can avoid falling behind. Don’t crowd her, and just give her some space.”

That got a chorus of assent up from the other women, who immediately started apologizing. “Sorry about that, Tohsaka.” One of them said.

“Yeah, we really should have been more considerate.” Another woman said.

“Hope you get back on your feet soon!” a third woman encouragingly said.

Again, despite herself, Rin smiled wider. “Thanks for the pep talk.” She said, nodding in gratitude first at her classmates, and then again at Ayako who gave Rin a grin in response. Then Rin was blinking, as Sakura walked into the classroom like it was completely normal for her to do so.

“Good morning, everyone!” she cheerfully greeted the class.

“Good morning, Sakura!” several of their classmates, both male and female, returned the greeting.

“Sakura, can I have a reading?” one of the latter suddenly piped up.

“No, me first!” another female classmate said.

“Hey, I asked first!”

“Yeah, but it’s my turn today!”

“When did we agree to that?”

“You bitch!”

Sakura ignored the argument out of nowhere, and just cheerfully proceeded to her seat. As she put her things away and brought out materials for first period, Rin drifted over with a confused air.

“Uh…what are you doing here, Sakura?” she asked. “This is a senior class, and…”

“Yes, I know that.” Sakura said as Rin trailed off, raising an eyebrow curiously. “I’ve been in this class for months now.”

Rin’s eyes were wide. “But…” she stammered out. “You’re a year younger than I am.”

The resulting silence was profound, as all eyes turned to Sakura, the suddenly-revealed junior in their midst. She didn’t seem fazed at all, though.

“And your point is?” she just asked.

“Why are you in a senior class when you’re a year younger than Rin?” Ayako asked. “I mean…I always assumed you were twins, but to think you were her little sister!”

“To answer your question first, I’m here because my academic achievements in Finland qualify me for this class, as certified by the Japanese educational authorities.” Sakura said, before tilting her head. “Moving on, didn’t I ever mention the specifics of my relation to Rin?”

“No…and that’s nee-san to you!” Ayako ground out.

“Ah…my mistake then,” Sakura said with a shrug.

It took Rin restraining Ayako and the warning bell sounding to keep the latter from actually strangling Sakura.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Why are you really here, Sakura?” Rin asked over lunchbreak. “And in the same class as me, no less?”

“Like I said earlier,” Sakura replied with a shrug. “My academic achievements are enough to get me into your class. Well, same level, actually: I pulled a few strings here and there, or rather _asked_ people who could to pull those strings to pull them to get me into your school and class both.”

“Why, though?” Rin pressed.

“It’s so if you came back,” Sakura added. “I can spend as much time with you even in school.”

Rin blinked and looked away. “You think too highly of me.” She said.

Sakura hummed and raised an eyebrow. “No, actually I don’t _know_ you at all.” She said. “And I’d like to change that, if I can.”

“…why go to school at all, though?” Rin asked after a long moment. “I don’t think you actually _need_ to, so why?”

Sakura smiled and sat back, supporting her weight on her arms. “It was Marjatta’s idea, actually.” She said.

“Marjatta?” Rin echoed.

“Luvia’s twin sister,” Sakura explained. “She pointed out how much more…memorable, becoming Second Owner in such a distant land here as Japan is, if I socialized with and made friends and acquaintances with people my age here and now. That, and it was an opportunity, to see new places, make new friends, and experience new things. And it’s an opportunity that should _not_ to be turned down.”

“And what do you think?” Rin asked. “In hindsight, that is?”

Sakura beamed at her. “Marjatta was right,” she said. “As she usually is.”

Rin stared at Sakura for several long moments, before giving a sad smile. “You really love them, don’t you?” she asked. “Not just Marjatta or Luvia, but the whole of the Edelfelt family. I mean…they’re _your_ family, aren’t they?”

“They’re your family too.”

“Hmm…are they?” Rin murmured. “I never knew about them until Luvia introduced herself to me and actually started defending my case over at the Clock Tower. I mean…I’d heard the rumors, about how our grandmother was an Edelfelt, one of two who fought in the Third Holy Grail War, and who stayed behind after the contest and married into our family. I thought it was just that, rumors…but to think it was actually true.”

“…there is absolutely no way father couldn’t have known.” Sakura said. “And yet he shunned us all his life. Small wonder our family had to take such extreme measures as they did.”

“Would you have killed me?” Rin suddenly asked.

Sakura sharply looked her way, meeting Rin’s eyes steadfastly. “If I had to, yes.” She admitted after a few moments. “There were plans expected to end with that outcome, if diplomacy failed and Tohsaka couldn’t be brought peacefully into the fold in their proper place as an Edelfelt branch line.”

“…I guess I can’t hold that against you.” Rin said with a sigh. “Magi walk with death, right?”

“…those were the worst-case scenarios.” Sakura elaborated after a moment and a sigh of her own. “I personally preferred the ones where diplomacy successfully plays out, and the grievances of over half a century ago are peacefully resolved once and for all. For instance, my children – or one of them, at any rate – marries yours, as part of an agreement to properly integrate Tohsaka with Edelfelt at long last.”

“They’d have been Matou…my children, that is, in such an outcome.” Rin said.

“Yes, I know.” Sakura said with another sigh. “Admittedly an oversight on our part; Dead Apostle or not, we’d never have sanctioned you marrying the scion of a withered lineage like Matou. We just never expected mother to be so _stupid_ as to betroth you to Shinji Matou of all people. After all, even before the truth of Makiri Zolgen came out, it was common knowledge that it was the last member of its family with the ability to use magic.”

“You’d have expected mother to know that me and Shinji getting married would only degrade our…children’s, magical potential.” Rin said.

“Yes.” Sakura said.

“…mother meant well.” Rin said after a moment. “She hoped even if the next generation suffered from…the echoes, of their father’s side of the family’s decay, it would open a new path to the future for their family, regardless. A way to stay magi, and continue to honor all the sacrifices their ancestors made to get to this point.”

“Ironic, as it turned out.” Sakura said with a nod. “Had we known about such stupidity beforehand, we’d have accelerated our plans and intervened much sooner.”

“It’d probably have come in handy.” Rin said with a mocking laugh. “Who knows? You might have exposed Zouken for what he really was, and even if the Fifth Holy Grail War had still broken out, it might not have been so bad.”

“Perhaps,” Sakura conceded with another nod.

“…is it to punish mother, then?” Rin asked after a long moment. “Surgically removing her eggs, that is, and planning to have them fertilized in-vitro for implantation into preselected surrogates?”

Sakura didn’t reply at once. “If you know that much,” she eventually said. “Then I’m sure Luvia explained the whole situation to you.”

“Yes, she did.” Rin admitted before looking at Sakura. “But I want to hear it from you.”

“Yes.” Sakura said without hesitation. “It’s to punish mother, but in a way that doesn’t waste our time or her potential. You and I are both sixth-generation magi, yet our potential falls among those typical of eighth-generation magi. Mother’s enhancer abilities are clearly beyond question. But just as beyond question is the fact that she sold you out and our branch of the family to a Dead Apostle. Even without that, she still sold you out and would have ruined your future children with Shinji Matou’s garbage genes. That cannot be allowed to stand. It’s unwise, improper, and even _unjust_.”

“That’s a bit harsh…”

“The bit about Shinji Matou having garbage for genes?” Sakura interrupted. “It’s simple fact. I have the reports from the College of Law. Shinji doesn’t just lack magic potential, as he actually does have magic circuits, it’s just that they’re _duds_. That’s even worse that not having magic circuits at all. His bloodline won’t just rob your future children of their birthright, it’d twist them into a mockery of everything they could have been and could have gained. Like I said: garbage.”

“That’s not all, is there?” Rin prompted, trying to change the topic.

Sakura tilted her head. “Why were you going to plead guilty to all charges?” she asked.

Rin blinked. “Well,” she began. “I had to take responsibility…”

“What responsibility?” Sakura asked. “You had no knowledge of the World Gate that the Fuyuki Grail actually is, or that Makiri Zolgen was actually a Dead Apostle. Neither did you conspire to hide those facts from the rest of magi society. You should not have to sacrifice your own future, your own _happiness_ , for crimes you had no share in.”

“Someone has to take responsibility…” Rin began again, only for Sakura to interrupt once more.

“And so they have, by proxy.” She said with a nod. “The Tohsaka patents at the Clock Tower, the Tohsaka circuits in your crest…their loss is only meet for our Tohsaka ancestors’ treachery. But _you_ , Rin, there was absolutely no reason for you to lose everything when you didn’t have to.”

“Happiness isn’t something magi should aspire to have.” Rin said with a slow shake of her head. “It’s…deadweight, pointless baggage that only holds us back from our duty to chart and walk the path that leads to the gates of the Root.”

“Just like the bonds between friends and family?” Sakura challenged. “The same bonds you share with Mitsuzuri? If you had to kill her to reach the Root, would you?”

“I…”

“Mother taught you that way of thinking, didn’t she?” Sakura asked. “I know. You said as much to Luvia back then. She told me. I had the right to know, after all.”

“It’s what father would have wanted.” Rin said softly. “It’s what he would have taught me – _us_ – had he lived, and had you not been taken away.”

“For which I am grateful.” Sakura scoffed.

“Yes…so am I.” Rin whispered.

Sakura sharply glanced her way, but Rin refused to meet her little sister’s eyes. “Why?” Sakura eventually asked.

Rin closed her eyes. “I guess…” she said. “…I’m just a failure of a magus, the kind of magus our father would have wanted me to be. I can’t sever my bonds…I just can’t…and yet…”

“…because of those same bonds,” Sakura slowly said with a nod. “You can’t turn your back on father’s example, taught to you and encouraged for you to cherish by mother.”

“Yes.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Rin said while closing her eyes again. “You don’t have any reason to be sorry.”

Sakura took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “I have to be,” she eventually said. “For your sake.”

Rin chuckled and gave a small smile. “I don’t know whether to be flattered or concerned.” She said. “You want to be family with me, but you don’t want the same with our parents. It’s curious, to say the least.”

“Mother might have borne and birthed me into this world,” Sakura said softly. “But I feel nothing for her.”

“You don’t really mean that, do you?” Rin asked.

“Yes, I do.” Sakura said.

Rin hummed and tilted her head. “I’m guessing you never lacked for maternal figures in your life,” she said. “Even in mother’s absence.”

Sakura smiled happily. “No,” she said. “I certainly didn’t. And the same goes for paternal figures in my life.”

Rin hummed and slowly nodded. “No matter what else,” she said. “I’m glad to hear you’ve grown up happy and with a caring family of your own.”

“Like I said earlier,” Sakura replied. “They’re – all of us Edelfelt – your family too.”

Rin closed her eyes for several moments, and taking a deep breath before letting it out, nodded. “Maybe someday.” She said.

“Yes…maybe…hopefully…” Sakura wistfully agreed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Are you sure you don’t want to meet with mother?” Rin asked, hours later before club activities started. “I mean, you don’t have to skip club activities for it, we can always go to my house afterward, and it’d mean a lot to her. Even if you don’t really…well…you know…”

“Hmm…it’s probably too soon, if her declining to have dinner with us last night is any indication.” Sakura said. “I’d probably just remind her of her…well, let’s just say recent _operation_. I use the name of the family at whose behest she had that operation to begin with, after all.”

“Hmm…true…” Rin conceded with a slow nod. “…I guess we’ll just have to give it time.”

Sakura hummed, and then looking around to make sure no one was within earshot, leaned in closer. “Considering she never told you about my existence or the incident right after my birth until Luvia brought it after Heaven’s Feel,” she quietly told Rin. “I suspect mother would also like to pretend I don’t exist.”

“I…I don’t know…” Rin whispered just as quietly.

Sakura shrugged. “If not mother,” she said. “Then father: considering the way he seemed to think about things, I wouldn’t be surprised. A kidnapped heiress isn’t of much value, and might even be a hindrance to his ends.”

“…maybe…” Rin said, unwilling to commit one way or another.

“…well, in any case,” Sakura said after a moment and a cough, taking into account her sister’s troubled state. “Mother can have all the time she needs, if she ever wants to see me, she knows where I live.”

Rin nodded, and then Sakura tilted her head. “Any plans to join a club in the future?” she asked. “Come to think of it, what clubs were you a part of before?”

“It’s too late to run for Student Council by now.” Rin said, gratefully accepting the change in topic. “And yes, I was a part of the Student Council, until last year and everything that went down with Heaven’s Feel. Hmm…I’ll have to think of something. What about you, though? From the sound of things, you joined a club?”

“Yes, track and field, to be specific.”

Rin whistled. “Wow…good luck,” she said. “Makidera can be quite the taskmaster.”

“I know.” Sakura said with a smile. “Good work ethic, that one. Impressive leadership skills too, and Kaede’s certainly got the talent to back it up. Here’s to hoping she goes far. It’d be a waste for anything else to happen.”

“Wait,” Rin began with wide eyes. “You’re on first name terms with her? How’d that happen?”

Sakura smiled wider. “Who do you think holds the number two spot on the club?” she asked.

Rin blinked, and then chuckling, shook her head. “Not number one?” she teased.

“I could take the spot.” Sakura admitted. “If I used magic, that is. But I won’t. There is such a thing as professional pride, after all.”

“If it’s just a matter of athletics,” Rin mused. “Then you have to get by on athletic talent, _without_ magical buffs, huh?”

“No point in taking pride in any athletic achievement, otherwise.” Sakura said, and Rin nodded in agreement.

“True,” she said. “Alright then…I won’t hold you up any longer. I’ll see what I can do, while you go to practice.”

Sakura nodded, and then she and Rin went their separate ways.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

Lots of Rin and Sakura interaction here, as well as answering the past question of why is Sakura in the same class as Ayako (and Rin) when she’s younger by around a year than both.


	13. Chapter 12: L’Imperatrice (Part III)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

**Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi**

**Chapter 12: L’Imperatrice (Part III)**

High-pitched screeching filled Sakura’s workshop, drowning out all other sounds. It came from where the magus was standing, next to a circular whetstone spinning at high speed. To be more specific, the screeching came from where Sakura has holding a curved blade against the whetstone, sparks flying as it ground against and sharpened the edge.

Naturally, Sakura was heavily-bundled up in protective gear, ranging from a leather apron and gloves, to a full-on welding helmet among other precautions. Even then, though, she stayed alert, not that she paused working even when Elisa knocked on her workshop door.

“ _Come in._ ” Sakura sent the thought pulsing out, Elisa entering soon after. The older woman stayed silent, though, keeping her distance and waiting for Sakura to finish – for now – before starting with what she came to do.

In other words, it probably wasn’t important. So Sakura took her time, but not too much, if only to avoid inconveniencing Elisa. Once she could pull the blade away from the whetstone without ruining the rhythmic pattern of properly sharpening the former, Sakura immediately turned to Elisa.

“What is it?” Sakura asked, pushing off her welding helmet before doing the same for her safety goggles.

“Aoi Tohsaka is here.” Elisa said without preamble.

“ _Ich busy,_ ” Sakura scoffed in German. “ _In der Keller._ ”

Elisa smiled indulgently at Sakura’s usual habit of responding to inconvenient – but not particularly pressing – surprises with semi-nonsensical remarks in German. She continued to indulge as Sakura returned to work, sparks flying as metal and stone screeched as they ground against each other, and then as she finished this round of sharpening, turned back to Elisa.

“If she insists,” Sakura said. “Show her to a sitting room and give her tea and biscuits.”

Elisa raised an eyebrow. “If you extend hospitality to her, you’ll have to meet her afterward.” She reminded Sakura.

“Not if she leaves first.” Sakura countered, and Elisa smirked.

“True…I’ll have it done.” Elisa said before tilting her head. “Though, I’m rather curious: just what are you doing? I mean, aside from the obvious, of course.”

“Makiri Zolgen might still be alive.” Sakura replied with a shrug. “So I need to prepare what I can in advance. But while there’s enough silver to make a few hundred rounds of shot with, I’d rather reserve those for use against the vampire itself.”

Elisa blinked as realization sank in. “You think the vampire will return with minions in tow?” she asked.

Sakura shrugged again. “You’ve seen and read about what it is.” She said. “Makiri Zolgen is essentially just a swarm of hundreds if not thousands or even tens of thousands of bloodsucking and flesh-eating worms with a single identity, will, and purpose. And from what the collected data says, it has the ability to parasitize Humans and possibly other animals for its use as living puppets.”

Elisa nodded in understanding. “I see your point.” She said. “Given _what_ Makiri Zolgen is, you will need all the enchanted silver you have against it, especially given how difficult it is to make more of the stuff.”

“Precisely,” Sakura said with a nod of her own. “So I’ll need to come up with alternative weapons and mystic codes for use against its puppets. And who knows? Maybe in the process of building up an arsenal, I might be able to come up with something…a eureka of a weapon that could finish the vampire off once and for all.”

Sakura paused, and then smiled. “It might even be useful against other vampires, too.” She said. “Even if my designs are specifically meant for use against Makiri Zolgen, they’re still patentable at the Clock Tower. Even without factoring in the royalties due from anyone using them, they’ll still be something to take pride in.”

“I’m guessing that blade is one of those.” Elisa said with another nod.

“Eh…in a way…” Sakura admitted with a slight air of embarrassment.

“What?” Elisa asked in surprise.

Sakura responded by taking the blade, and held it against a long staff of wood. Even if they weren’t mated together yet, the picture it sent was clear enough. “A scythe?” Elisa asked.

“It’s a simple solution to the whole puppet issue.” Sakura said with a shrug. “I’ll have to finish enchanting to counter defensive mysteries both passive and active, but it’s not really something I can patent.”

“…planning to use the scythe to literally decapitate Makiri Zolgen’s puppets?” Elisa asked. “Or similar pawns of other vampires, like ghouls and zombies among others?”

“That’s the idea.” Sakura said with a nod, and setting the pieces of her scythe back down on her worktable. “Sure, decapitation isn’t a sure way of killing a vampire, they’ll probably just grow their heads back unless you use a conceptual weapon and even then that’s not a sure thing, but ghouls, zombies, puppets created by Zolgen Absorption and Blood Worm Magecraft…cut off the head, and the decapitated corpse is largely useless except as literal fodder or ritual material.”

“…it’s not a very…effective weapon, though.” Elisa ventured after a moment. “I mean…even with magic to enhance the scythe’s cutting ability, it’s still an awkward weapon compared to say…swords or daggers, among others.”

“I know.” Sakura admitted with a sigh before brightening up. “Which is why I’ll have to work on another piece of magic to use it with, to use it to the best of its strengths while avoiding its weaknesses.”

“Oh?” Elisa prompted.

Sakura smiled wider. “It’s an application of my Imaginary Numbers beyond simply using it as a virtually-infinite pocket space to store materials and equipment in.” she said. “In fact, this application could throw the scope of options I have for Imaginary Numbers wide open. _If_ I get it to work, of course.”

“You’re a smart girl.” Elisa said without hesitation, and placing a hand on Sakura’s shoulder, squeezed down encouragingly. “And while I doubt it’ll be easy, there’s nothing you can’t do if you set your mind to finding out how to do it.”

Sakura laughed softly in gratitude. “Thanks, mom.” She said, before blinking and slightly blushing at the slip-up. “Anyway…that’s still far in the future, and as you said, it won’t be easy. Then again, people don’t really value easy achievements, so that’s probably a good thing.”

“It’s certainly more impressive if you work your butt off to get something.” Elisa said with a nod.

“Right…” Sakura agreed before coughing and changing the subject. “…speaking of which, I want your help on something.”

“Oh?”

Sakura led the way to another table, explaining as she went. “The family archivists sent me plenty of material in response to my requests for references on fighting and killing vampires.” She said. “Luvia and our family’s vassals in the Clock Tower also sent material…and recently, in the course of building up my anti-vampire arsenal, I’ve hit on an idea.”

“I’m listening.” Elisa said. “Though, just keep in mind that I’m neither a magus nor a spell-caster, much less a vampire hunter. I’ll help as much as I can, but honestly, I’m not sure how much help I can be.”

“Yes, but you’re also the most knowledgeable person I know about firearms.” Sakura replied while rummaging through a series of classified documents, and then finding what she was looking for, laid it out on the table.

Elisa’s eyes widened at some of the pictures on file, showing as they did a scantily-clad and heavily-tattooed _nun_ of all things, carrying what looked like a miniature cannon…complete with a _bayonet_ , of course. Sakura gestured at the pictures while continuing to speak.

“This is Sister Ciel,” Sakura said. “One of five currently-active members of the Holy Church’s Burial Agency, and one of the best vampire killers out there. In fact, based on her publicly-available record, this woman could storm Makiri Zolgen’s lair at night, with the monster having advance warning and ample opportunity to prepare for her arrival, and she’d still come out at the end of the confrontation the winner. Anyway…all other information about her background is classified beyond my or even Luvia’s access rights, to say nothing of our vassals’. But, part of what we can access is that weapon Sister Ciel’s holding. The name is classified, as are the details of its construction, design, and operation…”

“…but the generalities are known.” Elisa said.

“Yes,” Sakura said with a nod. “As you can see, it’s a miniature cannon of some kind, firing specialized ammunition designed to kill not just vampires but _immortals_ in general.”

“And you want to replicate it.” Elisa said. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.” Sakura laconically confirmed. “And while magi society might frown on firearms in general, against vampires the normal rules do _not_ apply.”

Sakura paused and shrugged. “Lady Barthomeloi’s influence, no doubt.” She said. “So long as it kills a vampire in the end, and the Masquerade is preserved, what do the details matter?”

“Hmm…” Elisa hummed in thought for a minute. “…30 mm caliber…breech-loading single-shot…it’ll have to be smoothbore, so a barrel length between 75 to 88 cm to maintain accuracy, possibly even up to 90 cm or more…”

Elisa trailed off, and then turning to Sakura, nodded. “I have a few ideas I could present to you after some time to work on them.” She said.

“Thanks,” Sakura said with a grateful nod, and squeezing Elisa’s arm out of the same sentiment. “Anyway…don’t you have something to do?”

“Oh yes,” Elisa said, blinking and nodding in agreement. “Your mother…I’ll be going then?”

Sakura nodded, and then Elisa left. Meanwhile, Sakura returned to her worktable, and replacing her safety goggles and welding helmet, started sharpening her scythe’s blade again.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Sorry I’m late,” Sakura said as she walked into the sitting room, a pair of maids present and standing along the wall bowing politely as their mistress arrived. “However, I had pressing business I couldn’t stop in the middle of.”

She kept her face and voice neutral and noncommittal, but Sakura could quickly see the resemblance, right down to the cheekbones.

_Well…I shouldn’t be surprised…_

And…that was it.

The resemblance between Sakura and her birth mother ended on purely physical characteristics.

From the way Aoi Tohsaka held herself, to how she openly showed what she felt on her face and in her eyes…

…Rin might have a weary air around her, but there was strength there, a grim resolve that just needed a reason to rise to the challenge. Like soldiers who knew they’d lost a battle but fought on regardless, to cut a way out of the battlefield and escape to fight another day, or miners who survived a cave-in but resolved to dig their way out regardless.

And of course, Sakura knew the way she held herself was nothing less than expected of any born of the Edelfelt bloodline. A hyena, laughing to itself whether simply walking in the Sun, to stalking its prey, and even in the face of death. Laughing as gleefully when it fought for its survival as much as it did when tearing out another animal’s throat…

…Aoi, though?

If Sakura compared herself to a healthy and eager hyena and Rin to a battle-weary soldier determined to just survive no matter what…

…she’d compare their birth mother to a _sunflower_. Pretty to look at, able to produce something of great value in its seeds and the oil and nutrition they offered, but ultimately a passive existence. Whether it was meekly following the movements of the Sun over the day from one day to the next, or submitting without resistance to the weather blowing it about, to say nothing of the uncaring hand of man tearing it out of the ground, roots and all.

_So…_

_…was it father we got our strength from?_

_What a horrid thought…_

_…grandmother Fiona perhaps, she had spirit by all accounts, if much too rebellious in the end._

_A lone wolf of a hyena…_

_…but a hyena still for all that…_

_…yes…_

_…that is more plausible…_

_…and_ acceptable _, even._

“It’s fine.” Aoi softly said, regarding Sakura with a mix of emotions in her eyes and on her face. “Your father was very much like that.”

In her eyes, there was a mix of fear, hope, longing, and relief.

On her face, a gentle happiness tinged with uncertainty.

“So,” Sakura said while sitting down opposite Aoi, and holding her fingers thoughtfully over her lips. “What can I help you with today?”

“Well…I suppose…” Aoi fumbled, looking down with a sad and regretful expression on her face. “…I came to apologize.”

“Apologize…?” Sakura echoed uncertainly. “…for what?”

“For not being a better mother,” Aoi said. “For not being there for you, and for not being able to protect you as a baby. If I had been able to do all those, you wouldn’t have had to grow up without a mother, and would have grown up happy and loved with your family. That’s why…I’m sorry…so very sorry.”

Sakura was silent, not letting her darkening mood show in any way on the surface.

After all, Aoi might as well have just come out and said that Edelfelt had given her a miserable and unloved life thus far.

Nothing could be further from the truth, of course. And couched in that self-martyring way…

…Sakura could see where Rin had gotten that martyr complex of hers from.

A sense of responsibility was admirable, but like in all things, moderation was key.

_If only she and I had been twins, then Edelfelt would have taken us both the day we were born, and we’d be better off for it._

“There is absolutely no reason for you to apologize.” Sakura said at last, and briefly closing her eyes. “There wasn’t anything you could have done at the time anyway. And in the end…I have no regrets.”

Aoi’s eyes went wide at that, lips working slightly but soundlessly while staring at Sakura. Sakura allowed her expression to soften at the sight, showing a hint of pity but nothing more.

She just…

…couldn’t.

Even the bonds of blood shared could only go so far.

And for the first time in her life, Sakura could understand how Fiona Edelfelt could so easily turn her back on her family.

It was terrifying.

_Well, grandmother…_

_…it looks like at least one of your granddaughters takes after you in the end._

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“You made quite the impression on mom, to say the least.” Rin said without preamble, joining Sakura at one of the teashops they’d taken to meeting in during weekends over the past month. “She wouldn’t stop crying when she got home.”

“If so,” Sakura said with a politely-contrite tone and expression. “Then I’ll apologize for your sake. You do have something for her, after all, so seeing mother cry…it can’t have been easy for you.”

Rin hummed to herself, and then softly nodded, continued. “What did you say to her, anyway?” she asked.

“The truth.”

Rin winced and scratched at her head. “Yeah…okay…” she uncertainly fumbled. “…I can see how what would have affected her.”

The conversation stilled as a waitress arrived, and took Rin’s orders shortly after. “In my defense,” Sakura began once the waitress was gone. “There’s nothing else I could have given her. To pretend to feel something for her…to pantomime happy family with her…wouldn’t it just come off as hollow, meaningless, patronizing, and even _insulting_ in the end?”

“…well, I guess I can’t argue with you there.” Rin replied after a moment. “Just what did she say to you, though?”

“Hmm…” Sakura hummed while thinking of a way to get it through. “…cutting out all the verbiage it was couched in, she was sorry that she couldn’t keep me from getting, well, _kidnapped_ as a baby, and for growing up without a mother or a happy and loving family.”

“…oh.”

“Yes, oh.” Sakura said with hands thrown up in exasperation. “The first, I can take in stride. It’s only natural for a mother to feel that way when her child is taken out of their crib the same day they were born. I could even sympathize with her…but the other two…she might as well have spat in the faces of the woman who cared for me as far back as I can remember, to say nothing of the rest of my family.”

“Well, I’d argue it’s also natural for her to feel that way.” Rin pointed out.

“…maybe…” Sakura grudgingly admitted after a moment. “…but like I said to mother, I have no regrets.”

“Hmm…well, I’d say it’s only natural for you to feel that way too.” Rin conceded with a sigh. “Edelfelt has treated you as nothing less than one of them, right?”

“Yes.”

Rin smiled at that, but said nothing, even as the waitress returned with her orders. “So,” Sakura began as the waitress left again. “How are things between you and Mitsuzuri?”

“Going well, thank you.” Rin said with a fond smile. “We’ve managed to make up for lost time, though it could be better.”

“Oh?”

“Well…you know we have to keep it discreet…”

“Ah…”

Silence fell once more between them, and again because of the same reason. “That said,” Rin continued with a small blush. “I actually have a date lined up with her this evening, and I’m planning on staying over at her place tonight.”

“…I assume you’re using schoolwork as a convenient excuse to keep mother from raising a fuss over that, aren’t you?” Sakura asked with a knowing smile.

Rin laughed. “Is it that obvious?” she asked.

“Hmm…it’s just the simplest and most plausible excuse to use given your age and situation.” Sakura said with a shrug. “Though, it’s also the one with the least chance of going wrong, thanks to its sheer simplicity.”

Rin nodded in agreement. “That’s the idea.” She said.

Sakura smiled while bringing her teacup up for a sip. “I’d say to be careful,” she said. “But considering Mitsuzuri is also a woman and there aren’t any chances for _accidents_ to happen, I won’t.”

Rin laughed. “Oh you.” She said with a wave of a hand.

Sakura shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. Then slyly regarding Rin through half-lidded eyes, waited until her sister was drinking tea before dropping a bombshell.

“Mind you, there _are_ ways to get around that issue, if you really want to have children with Mitsuzuri.”

The sight of Rin choking and spluttering in response, face red at what Sakura was insinuating had Sakura laughing…but not completely in jest.

It was true, after all, what she’d just said.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Well, well, well,” a rather gaudily-dressed young man said while walking up to Rin and Sakura with two others like him. “What have we here? Looks to me like a pair of bored young ladies in sore need of hip companionship.”

“Go away, nobody.” Sakura immediately snapped. “We’re not interested.”

“Oh come on,” another one of the men said, sporting dyed hair and flashy blue braces of all things. “It’ll be fun. We can go to karaoke, visit the bar, and have a great night. It’s not like we’re suspicious, right boys?”

There was a chorus of assent from the others while Rin palmed her face. “So,” the second man said, while reaching over to grope Sakura’s butt. “How about it, pretty lady?”

In the next instant, he was crying out in pain, as Sakura grabbed and then twisted his arm behind his back. “Lose the arm, and leave,” Sakura warned before shoving him away. “Before I decide to take it away.”

“You’ve got a mouth on you!” The man snarled with a leer as he brought up some spine, and pushed his face close to Sakura. “I’m going to enjoy watching you…!”

**CRACK!**

The man screamed as he fell to the ground, Sakura crushing his nose and cracking the front of his skull with a reinforced head butt. The rest of the gang immediately rushed in…

…and then the last of them was backing away, frightfully raising his hands in surrender as their leader fell screaming at the top of his voice. How could he not? Rin had just delivered a reinforced kick to his groin, pulverizing his penis and simultaneously rupturing his testicles while forcing them up into his abdomen.

The sisters glanced at each other, and then raising eyebrows simultaneously, smiled.

“YOU BITCHES!” the man with the ruined face screamed from the ground. “YOU DIRTY LITTLE BITCHES! DON’T YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE? YOU’RE GOING TO WISH YOU’D NEVER BEEN BORN!”

“Oh piss off, you little nobody.” Sakura said, before reaching into a pocket and pulling out a card holder. Then pulling out a trio of business cards, tossed them at the man, one each for them. “If you really want to get serious, though, go talk to our lawyers.”

“And don’t make the mistake of playing big.” Rin said, neatly tucking another trio of business cards into a shirt pocket of the unresisting and only unhurt man present. “Trust us: it’s you and not us who have absolutely no idea who they’re dealing with. Come on, Sakura. Let’s get moving.”

Sakura nodded, and shooting a look at the man Rin had kicked in the balls. He was writhing in agony on the ground, crying and whimpering piteously.

“Nice shot.” Sakura said, sounding and looking genuinely impressed.

“I could say the same about you.” Rin replied.

Sakura smiled. “Well, we are sisters, aren’t we?” she asked.

“That we are.” Rin said with a laugh, and after a moment, Sakura joined in.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“How’s it hanging?” Ayako asked as she walked in on Rin at their designated rendezvous, and giving her girlfriend a kiss on a cheek before sitting down.

“I’m doing just fine, thank you.” Rin replied with a smile.

“Hmm…you seem happier than usual,” Ayako remarked. “Did something happen?”

“I met with Sakura earlier.” Rin explained. “Nothing unusual about that, we do quite often these days, and besides, we’re sisters, even if we use different surnames.”

“Okay…and what was different about today?” Ayako asked, genuinely curious, having lightened up considerably over the past month or so on the subject of Rin’s little sister.

“We had an impromptu bonding moment.” Rin said with exaggerated slowness. “Three delinquents tried to hit on us but they crossed the line when they tried to grope Sakura.”

“…somehow, I doubt Edelfelt would let that go.” Ayako said, knowing that western women – which Sakura was by upbringing – were much more likely to lash out physically at such improper behavior. In contrast, most Japanese women were expected to just bear with it and keep from making a scene.

Definitely not one of the finer aspects of their society.

Whatever Sakura – and Rin – did, they had Ayako’s full support.

“She twisted the guy’s arm and told him to leave.” Rin said. “When he tried to bluster with dirty insinuations, she broke his nose with a head butt.”

Ayako burst out laughing. “Suddenly, I want to become Sakura’s friend.” She said. “Seriously, I like her style. What about you, though? I don’t see you just standing around.”

“Of course I wouldn’t.” Rin agreed. “The rest of the gang tried to, well, _gang up_ on us. So I kicked their leader’s balls all the way back up into his guts. That’ll teach that son of a bitch to treat women with the proper respect.”

Ayako whistled before leaning over, Rin doing likewise to bump heads affectionately together. “That’s my girl.” She said, grinning face to face with Rin. “You are simply the most powerful, the most talented, and the most beautiful girl I have ever seen and probably will ever see.”

“And don’t you forget it.” Rin replied, grinning back before pulling away. Then raising a hand, she called for a waiter to take their orders.

“Oh, no worries there, definitely.” Ayako said. “How could I forget, when I have you to remind me person every single day?”

“Oh you.” Rin said with a laugh, Ayako joining in until their waiter arrived with a pair of menus for them to make their orders from.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N

Ich busy in der Keller: it’s German (duh), and means “I’m busy in the basement” in English. Which is technically true, but technically nonsensical as a response when your (birth) mother comes calling.

Yes, I’m aware that even a 90 cm barrel is too short for a 30 mm caliber weapon, considering that 20 mm anti-materiel rifles have barrels at least a meter (100 cm) long. But, it’s a starting idea, so expect Elisa’s estimates to increase as she works on her and Sakura’s plan for anti-vampire artillery.

Some Rin and Sakura bonding here, plus some romantic moments between Rin and Ayako. No Shirou, though, sorry.


End file.
